Airlines, Airplanes and Airports - Compiled Threads [Archive] - Page 61

sloanesquare

August 25th, 2009, 11:59 AM

Best airports in the Philippines
by Harold Geronimo
Manila Standard

I ’ve always believed that first impressions last. This is my philosophy when I travel. The first thing I see becomes my impression of what I should expect in that particular place.

In this case, I’m talking about airports. I believe airports are a key indicator of progress. When I visit different cities around the country, I always explore the airport’s amenities and see how clean and modern they are. I’m actually proud to see that some of the major cities in our country now have airports that adhere to international standards. I have excluded the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in this list to give way to the regional aviation hubs.

1. Iloilo International Airport

After almost a decade of planning, Iloilo Airport formally opened its doors two years ago replacing the old Mandurriao Airport. Located 19 km north of Iloilo at a 188-hectare site in Cabatuan and Sta. Barbara towns, the new Iloilo International Airport is one of the most modern and best designed airports in the country today. Its all-glass and steel beam structure with curved roofings resembles that of Hong Kong International Airport at a smaller scale. Leading to the terminal is a 3-km access road with landscaped center islands. The terminal also boasts of pocket gardens similar to other modern airports in the world. It’s still very new and clean, so I hope the government will maintain it really well.

2. New Bacolod-Silay Airport

As a Negrense, I am proud to see the province finally having a state-of-the-art airport of international standards in my hometown in Silay City. Located 15 km northeast of Bacolod City, the new Bacolod-Silay Airport opened its commercial operations early last year replacing the old Bacolod Domestic Airport. Today, it is the third largest international airport in the Visayas, just next to Cebu and Iloilo International Airports. The P4.3-billion airport complex is designed to accommodate one million passengers annually. Designed with an all-glass and steel beam structure, the main passenger terminal is equipped with a modern flight information display system comparable to other international airports. It also has a 300-car parking area and a spacious departure lobby.

3. Davao International Airport

The busiest airport in Mindanao, known as Francisco Bangoy International Airport, had a major facelift six years ago to become one of the most modern international airports in the country today. The Malay-inspired architectural design of the airport terminal speaks about Davao’s cultural heritage. This airport has the most spacious departure lobby outside Metro Manila, with 14 domestic and international check-in counters. The 3-km runway of this airport can accommodate 8 to 10 aircraft landings per hour and can handle wide-bodied aircraft including the gigantic Airbus 380. For those who want to do last-minute shopping and dining, there are wide choices of food and retail stores inside the terminal.

4. Mactan-Cebu International Airport

Undoubtedly, the airport of the Queen City of the South would make it in the Top 5. Though the terminal is already old, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport still has the unique charm and hospitality that Cebuanos exude. During my last trip to Cebu, I was so amazed that the airport now provides free Internet stations to departing passengers. The terminal also has adequate pasalubong shops and restaurants to choose from. There are also spas and massage services available to those who want to relax before flying. I just hope though that the government will soon upgrade the airport’s facilities and amenities to be at par with other modern airports in the country.

5. Diosdado Macapagal International Airport

It is surprising to see how this airport has transformed into a premier international aviation hub in just a few years. Situated inside the Clark Special Economic Zone, it is considered to be one of the biggest aviation complexes in Asia with its 3.2-km parallel runways that can accommodate huge aircraft. Today, the airport services major low-cost carriers in Asia such as Tiger Airways and Air Asia. Its terminal may not be as modern as those in this list, but an expansion of the terminal building is underway. If finished, the new terminal may serve up to four million passengers annually.

For your views and comments, you may e-mail me at haroldgeronimo@yahoo.com.

Sky Harbor

August 25th, 2009, 12:35 PM

according to Airphil staff the plane will be upgraded. ano ba talaga? :nuts:

Eh? The only way a 2P flight can be upgraded is if mainline PAL (NOT PAL Express) takes over and sends in at least an A319, like what it did with Ozamiz. The 737 is the largest plane in the Air Philippines fleet.

Sky Harbor

August 25th, 2009, 12:59 PM

The drama that was once only limited to PNB has now spread to PAL. :ohno:

----

Tan ejects brother as turbulence hits PAL (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=/2009/august/25/news2.isx&d=2009/august/25)

by Roderick T. dela Cruz

PAL Holdings, the holding company of Philippine Airlines, has elected a brother of taipan Lucio Tan as its chairman to replace another brother, Mariano Tanenglian, who was removed from the board.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, PAL Holdings said Harry Tan was appointed the holding firm’s new chairman, replacing Tanenglian as a part of a reorganization of its board committees.

The company did not cite the reasons for the change, but it was believed to have been caused by an unresolved feud between Lucio Tan and his younger brother Tanenglian.

Tanenglian was earlier removed from the board of the Philippine National Bank and Eton Properties Philippines, both of which are controlled by Lucio Tan.

The rift between the two brothers reached a boiling point when Tanenglian threatened to testify for the government in its ill-gotten-wealth cases against his older brother.

Lawyers representing Tanenglian yesterday distributed a copy of a letter to the Presidential Commission on Good Government dated Aug. 19, reminding the agency of their client’s offer to testify against his brother in exchange for immunity for himself and his family.

“Up to the present... after the lapse of more than one month, our client’s offer of cooperation and request for such grant of immunity have not yet been acted upon,” the letter from the Azura Quiroz & Campos law office said.

“In the meantime, the window of opportunity is fast approaching (sic).”

The letter ended with the suggestion that further delay by the commission would be interpreted as the result of pressure “by a very influential party” involved in the case.

In its board reorganization, PAL Holdings also appointed Michael Tan, a son of the taipan, a member of the Audit Committee in place of Enrique Cheng.

Lucio Tan Jr., another son of the taipan, and Juanita Tan Lee were appointed alternate members of the same committee.

Lucio Tan remains chairman of the airline itself while Bautista remains president.

The directors of PAL Holdings nominated for fiscal year 2009-2010 include Lucio Tan, Harry Tan, Jaime Bautista, Domingo Chua, Lucio Tan Jr., Michael Tan, Juanita Tan Lee, and Wilson Young. The independent directors were Johnip Cua, Antonino Alindogan Jr. and Enrique Cheng.

PAL booked a comprehensive income of $35.5 million in the April-June period, which represents the first quarter of its fiscal year.

But the airline said the amount was down by $9.6 million over the same period last year because of declining passenger volume.

The airline incurred a net loss of $301 million in the fiscal year ending March 2009, reversing a net profit of $30.6 million a year earlier.

The airline operates 47 aircraft that fly to 29 domestic destinations and 31 international routes. It employs 8,052 workers and does not expect to hire more employees within the next 12 months.

Noize_320

August 25th, 2009, 01:16 PM

just asking...is 2P going to be dissolved by PAL?

Sky Harbor

August 25th, 2009, 01:21 PM

^^ It's a very contentious and controversial thing. No one really knows. Some say the older, non-Recaro A320s will be moved to 2P, while others say 2P will be subsumed into PAL Express. Still others believe that 2P will be liquidated.

ar-Jay

August 25th, 2009, 02:56 PM

The rumors are all true:

http://www.philippineairlines.com/Images/Domestic_Timetable_25August2009_tcm61-12634.pdf

By Septemeber 1, All 2P flights would be transferred to mainline PAL and PALex.

shytype

August 25th, 2009, 03:43 PM

Zest Air Opens Cebu and Zamboanga Hub
Expects 2 more A320 Delivery by October

August 25, 2009

Zest Airways. The airline is scheduled to receive 2 more brand new Airbus 320 and 3 additional MA-60 this year as initial part of the company's $150 million capital investment program.
Budget airline Zest Airways Inc. (Zest Air) announces the opening of Mactan-Cebu and Zamboanga hub this October as it recommence Visayas and Mindanao services as well as re-introduce flight to Sandakan.

The airline expects to receive its 6th MA-60 from Xian Corporation of China to serve the southern routes from Cebu with routes to Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga with onward connections to Sandakan.

Meanwhile Zest Air will start flight from Manila-Clark to Hong Kong in September 21 to formally make DMIA its hub for its international flight operations with Seoul, Macau, and Bangkok to be added later when two more brand new A320 join the airline fleets in October. It will have the airline operating 5 A320 by yearend.

"With our plans to expand our operation to the Southeast Asian region, it becomes necessary to grow our fleet size" says Alfredo M. Yao, President and CEO of Zest Air.

Donald Dee, Zest Air chairman, however said that the new fleet acquisition would be serving new domestic destinations as well as existing trunkline routes in the meantime while it weathers the aviation slump in Asia-Pacific region.

Zest Air’s intends to fly Boeing 767-300 which will arrive next year to Kuwait and Abu Dhabi while its request is being processed for approval by Kuwaiti and Emirates governments. It is also applying for rights to fly to Australia also with the use of Boeing 767 slated for delivery next year which will culminate its $150 million investments.

Asiawide Airways controls Zest Airways of the Philippines which is a subsidiary company of AMY Holdings controlled by Alfredo Yao.

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Labels: Zest Air/ Asian Spirit

Sky Harbor

August 25th, 2009, 08:09 PM

Before I start removing "[ends August 31]" tags on Wikipedia, I had to confirm the suspicion that I may be stranded in Cebu on September 5. Yes, I have the "island-hopper" flight (MNL-CEB-ILO-MNL) thanks to Seat All You Can II, with a TR to boot (finished SIN, working on CEB). I hope PAL releases a statement clearing this up, and I may send them an e-mail tomorrow.

I got off the phone with a PAL agent, and she told me that no Air Philippines flights are being canceled in light of the recent move to shift much of 2P's capacity to PR. Apparently, my itinerary still shows that I am still booked for the 12:10 CEB-ILO flight which is normally operated by 2P, instead of one of the two CEB-ILO flights operated by PAL Express (at 9:10 am and 3:20 pm, which I will miss either way as I will either arrive too late at CEB to catch the flight to ILO, or I will arrive too late at ILO to catch the flight back to MNL). This made me deduce the possibility that if the agent was correct, and PAL has made serious typographical errors in its timetables, I'm going to expect massive upgrades in capacity across the entire 2P network, with three daily flights to ILO from CEB, 25 weekly flights to WNP and two daily flights to SUG, among others, come September 1.

Whatever mess PAL is making with their timetables, I hope they get their act straight, or I may end up being stranded in either Cebu or Iloilo, and that will not be a pretty sight. Count on it.

springcity

August 26th, 2009, 03:43 AM

The rumors are all true:

http://www.philippineairlines.com/Images/Domestic_Timetable_25August2009_tcm61-12634.pdf

By Septemeber 1, All 2P flights would be transferred to mainline PAL and PALex.

Before I start removing "[ends August 31]" tags on Wikipedia, I had to confirm the suspicion that I may be stranded in Cebu on September 5. Yes, I have the "island-hopper" flight (MNL-CEB-ILO-MNL) thanks to Seat All You Can II, with a TR to boot (finished SIN, working on CEB). I hope PAL releases a statement clearing this up, and I may send them an e-mail tomorrow.

I got off the phone with a PAL agent, and she told me that no Air Philippines flights are being canceled in light of the recent move to shift much of 2P's capacity to PR. Apparently, my itinerary still shows that I am still booked for the 12:10 CEB-ILO flight which is normally operated by 2P, instead of one of the two CEB-ILO flights operated by PAL Express (at 9:10 am and 3:20 pm, which I will miss either way as I will either arrive too late at CEB to catch the flight to ILO, or I will arrive too late at ILO to catch the flight back to MNL). This made me deduce the possibility that if the agent was correct, and PAL has made serious typographical errors in its timetables, I'm going to expect massive upgrades in capacity across the entire 2P network, with three daily flights to ILO from CEB, 25 weekly flights to WNP and two daily flights to SUG, among others, come September 1.

Whatever mess PAL is making with their timetables, I hope they get their act straight, or I may end up being stranded in either Cebu or Iloilo, and that will not be a pretty sight. Count on it.

OMG! sabi ng Airphil ticketing sales agent here in surigao they're enjoying the market and very positive. the fact no flights has been canceld since it started its operation in surigao. ano ba talaga ang real reason? capable ba ang A319 ng PAL to land in Surigao City airport? coz according to Airphil staff here na temporary lang ang PAL Express and later it will be replace again by a bigger aircraft.

Sky Harbor

August 26th, 2009, 04:38 AM

^^ An A319 can land in SUG, but it will be weight-restricted.

romantic_guy08

August 26th, 2009, 05:39 AM

Interpretation, for those who may be confused:

* CEB-DVO: As I mentioned in the DVO thread, this route will now be flown by mainline PAL. It's a very substantial upgrade, as there will most likely be a doubling of capacity (737 to A330 is the most likely bet, unless they send in A340s). The PEx rumor specifically says widebody service.

I have to agree that most likely this would be an A330. This will be an onward flight of PR 848 (MNL-CEB) that now departs at 4:10 A.M. instead of 4:30 AM. Arrives at 5:25 A.M. and departs for DVO at 6:05 A.M. This flight flight would then return to Manila as PR 801 which now departs at 7:45 A.M. starting September 1.

springcity

August 26th, 2009, 07:52 AM

^^ An A319 can land in SUG, but it will be weight-restricted.

i see. correct me if im wrong, PAL uses A319 in tagbilaran adn ozamis. since almost same lang ang length ng surigao runway sa both cities, most probably PAL will use A319 in surigao. hopefully :)

romantic_guy08

August 26th, 2009, 09:32 AM

i see. correct me if im wrong, PAL uses A319 in tagbilaran adn ozamis. since almost same lang ang length ng surigao runway sa both cities, most probably PAL will use A319 in surigao. hopefully :)

A320 for Tagbilaran, flew there just last Sunday...A319 for Ozamis...

springcity

August 26th, 2009, 09:44 AM

A320 for Tagbilaran, flew here just last Sunday...A319 for Ozamis...

may restriction ba load @romantic_guyo8?

romantic_guy08

August 26th, 2009, 10:44 AM

may restriction ba load @romantic_guyo8?

For both airports I don't think there are any...

Sky Harbor

August 26th, 2009, 11:08 AM

If I'm not mistaken, the reason why A319s and A320s can't land in SUG is because it would compromise the integrity of the runway. Both planes are heavier than the usual 737, and the runway at SUG can't handle all that weight with a full load.

swahi

August 26th, 2009, 11:23 AM

Sheesh!! I just changed a Manila-Cebu September flight from 830pm to the 9pm departure, and paid 660 rebooking fee, a ticket bought during the seat all you can promo I, just last weekend! And the 830pm flight was going to be cancelled anyway by September 1. Ang galing ng PAL, walang sinabi na makacancel na rin.

springcity

August 26th, 2009, 11:44 AM

Sou-jiro

August 26th, 2009, 11:47 AM

whats the probability/ or should I say which flight is there a HIGHER change of using PALs 744 on MNL-CEB as they're website shows most are EQV daily.

romantic_guy08

August 26th, 2009, 12:09 PM

whats the probability/ or should I say which flight is there a HIGHER change of using PALs 744 on MNL-CEB as they're website shows most are EQV daily.

Should be PR 849 or PR 847...these are the usual flights that utilize the B744s... Im leaning more towards PR 849 though since I usually see that flight utilize the 744s...yesterday 849 was a 744

Sky Harbor

August 26th, 2009, 12:47 PM

^^ PR 849/850 is usually scheduled as a 747. PR 847/848 is usually scheduled as an A330, although it is frequently upgraded to a 747.

ar-Jay

August 26th, 2009, 01:48 PM

Here are three links that would prove that all 2P flights would be suspended by September 1:

http://www.palexpressair.com/images/pal_express_timetable.pdf (from palexpressair.com)

http://www.philippineairlines.com/Images/Domestic_Summer_26August2009_tcm61-12674.pdf (from philippineairlines.com)

http://www.philippineairlines.com/Images/Bulletin_%202009_37_tcm61-7486.pdf (from philippineairlines.com)

Tried to mock book (on philippineairlines.com) MNL-SUG and vv., MNL-WNP and vv., CEB-ILO and vv., & CEB-DVO and vv. flights from September 1 onwards and it did show that it would all be operated by mainline PR and PALex.

BTW, the first PR CEB-DVO flight (on September 1) would be operated by an A340 and the first PR DVO-CEB flight (also on September 1) would be operated by an A330.

romantic_guy08

August 26th, 2009, 02:17 PM

vynzdelz

August 26th, 2009, 04:14 PM

http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff322/vindell_bucket/vlcsnap-2009-08-24-16h01m29s113.png

sana may ganito tayong presedential plane katulad ng Amerika......hehehe...:banana::banana::banana:

habagatcentral1

August 26th, 2009, 04:21 PM

http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff322/vindell_bucket/vlcsnap-2009-08-24-16h01m29s113.png

sana may ganito tayong presedential plane katulad ng Amerika......hehehe...:banana::banana::banana:
At biglang tanungin sa Senado at ng madla:

"Saan napunta ang $Nthbillion? ng taumbayan?" :lol::lol:

vynzdelz

August 26th, 2009, 04:48 PM

At biglang tanungin sa Senado at ng madla:

"Saan napunta ang $Nthbillion? ng taumbayan?" :lol::lol:

korek ka dyan... but ang hilig-hilig nila ng controversy? wala ba silang trust sa pangulo natin?... pabayaan na lang natin si GMA total malapit naman ang eleksyon...

shytype

August 26th, 2009, 05:27 PM

ask ko lng... wat hapen to air philippines.... ???? bket stop na operation nila?????

numiX

August 26th, 2009, 09:28 PM

Heard PAL is retrenching? is it true? 2Ps operation will be terminated so that Pal can recapture the market domestically. The operational cost is taking its toll on PAL, together with the decline in passenger bookings. I wont be surprise to know if they will halt the peanuts and biscuits service for domestic operations. Like British Airways, snacks on short haul flight were terminated, as a cost cutting measure. BA can save Euros 22 million a year. But hopefully PAL wont do it. Just a thought.

mwg12a

August 27th, 2009, 12:38 AM

That shouldn't bother most of the PAL's patrons. Domestic services are usually a little over an hour to an hour, most are alot less. On international routes especially if it's atleast 3 hours, refreshments, meals or snack should still be as is.

Sky Harbor

August 27th, 2009, 02:36 AM

^^ Actually, no PAL jet flight is less than one hour. LAO, LGP and points in the Visayas are reached from MNL within an hour, while PPS and points in Mindanao usually take 1.5 hours. CEB-DVO will probably take an hour.

However, I really hope they don't cut down on the food. The food as it currently stands is what separates PAL from its LCC competitors.

----

Anyway, moving on.

After a very lengthy call with another PAL agent, I had changes made to my itinerary. Since I cannot fly anymore on September 5 (either I take the 4:10 flight to CEB or the 6:00 flight back to MNL from ILO, and either move is very unreasonable on my part), I decided instead to accelerate my trip by moving it to the only possible day where it can be done: August 31. The change in itinerary was done for me free of charge.

I cannot believe I will be on the final CEB-ILO flight of Air Philippines. I wonder what that will feel like to both passengers and employees.

Mojacko

August 27th, 2009, 06:06 AM

Greetings, SkyscraperCity forumers.

According to the domestic timetables section on Philippine Airlines' website, it's true and official that effective September 1st:

1. Air Philippines' remaining services between Manila and Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Puerto Princesa will be replaced by resprective additional mainline PR flights. (In the case of the MNL-PPS sector, in addition to the one mainline PR flight - PR195/196, the second one, formerly a 2P flight until some recent time ago, is now a PR flight - PR197/198.)
2. Yes, I've been attentive to the buzz going on about the Cebu to Davao (and vice-versa) flight, also currently a 2P flight, becoming a mainline PR flight, as likewise confirmed on the website. Additionally, I know people who travel that route semi-frequently and are in fact looking forward to PR's restoration of that route since the 1998 strike. (I might wanna try that myself one day.)
3. Meanwhile, the rest of 2P's flights from its Cebu hub will become PAL Express flights.

As a loyal passenger and supporter of Philippine Airlines, while I am happy to see the rebirth that the airline is going through, I am also kinda sad to see Air Philippines flying into the sunset when August ends.

:goodbye: Air Philippines....

kiretoce

August 27th, 2009, 08:06 AM

Someone should buyout Air Philippines from Philippine Airlines and make it an independent company in direct competition with them and Cebu Pacific and Zest Air. The more the merrier! :colgate:

Sky Harbor

August 27th, 2009, 10:00 AM

^^ 2P and PR are separate companies. The only way they're related is through Lucio Tan owning both of them.

Mojacko

August 27th, 2009, 10:12 AM

^^ Actually, Air Philippines is a subsidiary of Philippine Airlines. So although a separate entity from its parent company, it's still under its umbrella.

Still pertaining to soon-to-disappear(?) Air Philippines: now I'm just a bit curious - are we excpecting the NAIA Fire Department to give the last 2P flight into MNL a water-cannon salute?

patlite_boy

August 27th, 2009, 10:50 AM

Just want to share the pictures of our prototype aircraft being develop in Clark. We are now in the stage of developing the 2nd prototype before the serial production here in Clark, Pampanga.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm136/patlite_boy/DSC00001.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm136/patlite_boy/dsc_7103.jpg

Our plan is to test flight and land in Mt. Pinatubo lake :banana:

wise_zech

August 27th, 2009, 12:02 PM

Rall

August 27th, 2009, 12:09 PM

Sky Harbor

August 27th, 2009, 12:16 PM

Still pertaining to soon-to-disappear(?) Air Philippines: now I'm just a bit curious - are we excpecting the NAIA Fire Department to give the last 2P flight into MNL a water-cannon salute?

I doubt it. Airlines appear and disappear all the time at MNL. Probably the only airlines which will get the privilege are those which have been here for a very long time, such as PR, NW/DL, CX and KL.

On another note, I just realized: in exchange for riding 2P, my 7:30 CEB flight, which on a Saturday is flown using A340s, was downgraded to an A320. The 9:00 am flight meanwhile is on a 747. :cry:

patlite_boy

August 27th, 2009, 12:23 PM

but is that the German flag sa tail?

would you have any more photos of that plane sa likod?[/QUOTE]

Yan ang prototype 1 na nagawa sa Germany. Prototype 2 dito namin sa Clark ginagawa. Yung sa likod lumang eroplano sa Germany na binuhay dito sa Phils at nag world tour. German boss namin.:)

heto po link ng airplane sa likod: http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=&airlinesearch=&countrysearch=&specialsearch=&daterange=&keywords=rp-c2403&range=&sort_order=datestamp+desc&page_limit=15&thumbnails=

Rall

August 27th, 2009, 12:28 PM

but is that the German flag sa tail?

would you have any more photos of that plane sa likod?

Yan ang prototype 1 na nagawa sa Germany. Prototype 2 dito namin ginagawa. Yung sa likod lumang eroplano sa Germany na binuhay dito sa Phils at nag world tour. German boss namin.:)

heto po link ng airplane sa likod: http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=&airlinesearch=&countrysearch=&specialsearch=&daterange=&keywords=rp-c2403&range=&sort_order=datestamp+desc&page_limit=15&thumbnails=

thanks for the info...:)

interesting type of plane... whats it use for?

_mike

August 27th, 2009, 12:31 PM

^^wow...galing naman :cheers:

patlite_boy

August 27th, 2009, 12:39 PM

thanks for the info...:)

interesting type of plane... whats it use for?

Basically it's a very light amphibian aeroplane. Stingray ang design nya. More details here: http://www.do-sray.com

Rall

August 27th, 2009, 01:02 PM

Basically it's a very light amphibian aeroplane. Stingray ang design nya. More details here: http://www.do-sray.com

when do you expect to finish the first unit?
selling? price?

pls pm your contact details... Thanks

patlite_boy

August 27th, 2009, 01:16 PM

when do you expect to finish the first unit?
selling? price?

pls pm your contact details... Thanks

The aircraft is still in the process of EASA certification.

WawaY[625]

August 27th, 2009, 03:36 PM

^ d atin yan, park lng pala eh

:bash::bash::bash::bash: wag na kaseng magsalita kung bokya din lang ang laman ano?

Minsan naiisip ko sana may IQ test bago makapagpamember sa SSC

gustokiddo

August 27th, 2009, 03:42 PM

WawaY[625]

August 27th, 2009, 03:51 PM

anong mali sa picture? :D

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/5867/photo0199.jpg (http://img365.imageshack.us/i/photo0199.jpg/)

brownislander

August 27th, 2009, 03:54 PM

Eh Terminal 2 yang nasa picture.

;41907150']anong mali sa picture? :D

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/5867/photo0199.jpg (http://img365.imageshack.us/i/photo0199.jpg/)

vynzdelz

August 27th, 2009, 04:15 PM

Just want to share the pictures of our prototype aircraft being develop in Clark. We are now in the stage of developing the 2nd prototype before the serial production here in Clark, Pampanga.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm136/patlite_boy/dsc_7103.jpg

Our plan is to test flight and land in Mt. Pinatubo lake :banana:

fighter plane ba to? just asking..... diba pwede to sa tubig at lupa?.. kasi amphibian eh....

Gulf Coast

August 27th, 2009, 04:22 PM

"Actually, no PAL jet flight is less than one hour."
- how bout cebu to iloilo? Cebu to bacolod? i think it only takes twenty to thirty minutes diba?or walang PAL flight from cebu to iloilo and Bacolod?

Actually PR has. One leg Blocktime to LGP and RXS is just 55 minutes. Actual Flying time to LGP, LAO, RXS and KLO's less than 50 minutes:)

thescene

August 27th, 2009, 06:50 PM

Philippine Airlines may cut jobs, reduce flights

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/170857/philippine-airlines-may-cut-jobs-reduce-flights

Philippines Airlines (PAL) announced it may cut jobs and may mount fewer flights after posting multi-million dollar losses at the end of its fiscal year in March.

“Decisive steps" will be taken to help PAL survive the crisis after the Lucio Tan-owned airline posted $301.4 million in losses as of end-March this year, the company said in a statement.

These steps include cutting its workforce and realigning operations to match demand, the company added.

Management will offer early retirement packages for its employees as a way of enhancing productivity and reducing costs, Jaime J. Bautista, PAL president and chief operating officer, said.

The company is currently reviewing its entire organizational set-up to make the workforce “lean and mean," he added.

PAL shares the same predicament with giant airlines whose operations were severely hit by the slowdown in passenger traffic.

PAL, which claims to be Asia’s first airline, is also set to mount lesser flights to US, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia.

“Seven percent of the airline’s total capacity would be reduced effective this month until March 2010," Bautista said.

However, flights to domestic destinations will be increased.

The company is “eyeing new destinations either through charters or regular scheduled operations," Bautista said.

Besides expecting the delivery of brand new and fuel-efficient Boeing 777-300ERs, the company is also in the final stages of refurbishing its current fleet of wide-bodied aircraft to feature a bi-class configuration, new seats, and state-of-the-art entertainment systems.

In the meantime, PAL shareholders approved a quasi-reorganization plan, reducing the par value of PAL shares to P0.20 from P0.80 per share. It will also increase its authorized capital stock from P16 billion to P20 billion divided into 100 billion shares at P0.20 per share.

During the period, PAL’s revenues rose to $1.634 billion, from $1.504 billion the previous year. Revenues rose because it transported more passengers after the company bought additional aircraft.

However, the cost of operating more flights, which involved higher maintenance costs and compounded by record-high fuel prices, raised expenses to $1.9 billion from $1.539 billion the previous year.

Fuel comprises 44 percent of PAL's operating expenses.

When the global crisis led to a travel slump in the latter part of the year, PAL's passenger load factor fell to an average of 76.2 percent, three points lower than the previous year.

PAL also reported paying $165.4 million in principal and interest to its creditors, bringing to $2.4 billion the total paid amount from March 1999 to March 2009.

With the protracted recession, the International Air Transport Association said its member-airlines are bracing for $9 billion in total combined losses by the end of the current fiscal year.

numiX

August 27th, 2009, 07:23 PM

mwg12a

August 27th, 2009, 08:58 PM

^^^^ It's the airline industry nowadays, that and the global recession going on.

mwg12a

August 27th, 2009, 09:02 PM

ngprofflorida

August 27th, 2009, 09:23 PM

Ma try ko post pics ah...

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0198.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0199.jpg

Bacolod Silay Airport by day

Bacolo during the day

Negros Occidental aerials

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0201.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0200.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0204.jpg

on the air

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0218.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0219.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0220.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0222.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_0223.jpg

Bacolod Silay Airport by night

Thanks migo SUV for teaching me..hehe:)

thanks my friend for sharing

hybridace101

August 28th, 2009, 12:44 AM

Does this mean we will be expecting no more daily flights to SFO and LAX? I can see YVR/LAS reduced to 3x/week but to phase out the daily 747 flight to the 2 CA cities? If I understand correctly, under Cat2, if PR reduces flights, they can't bring them back up.

Or nevermind that, what made me so stressed-out is the flight I am going to be on to SIN would be cancelled (presumably as part of PR's reduction of capacity) and I have to settle for an earlier flight and a more cramped cabin.

Sky Harbor

August 28th, 2009, 01:40 AM

What about PALexpress?

PAL Express does not operate jet aircraft.

absinthe_888

August 28th, 2009, 04:35 AM

http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff322/vindell_bucket/vlcsnap-2009-08-24-16h01m29s113.png

sana may ganito tayong presedential plane katulad ng Amerika......hehehe...:banana::banana::banana:

Buong kongreso na makakasama sa presidente sa mga junket pag meh Air Pandak One na :D

c6josh

August 28th, 2009, 08:18 AM

Friday, August 28, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Today’s Headlines
PAL looking to trim staff, operations

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES, Inc. (PAL), which over a decade ago was forced into receivership by the Asian crisis, is once again facing a fight for survival, its president yesterday said.

Burdened with debt and ballooning costs, the company is now looking at various options, including selling aircraft, reducing flights, and letting go of employees. It is also on lookout for potential white knights who can ease its financial woes, PAL President and CEO Jaime J. Bautista said.

"We will take decisive steps like rationalizing [our] workforce, realigning operations to match demand and other cost-cutting measures to survive the crisis currently plaguing airlines worldwide," he said.

In a statement, PAL quoted Mr. Bautista as saying, "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

PAL lost $301.4 million for its fiscal year ending March 2009 as a result of higher expenses brought about by the cost of operating more flights and last year’s record-high fuel prices. Fuel accounts for 44% of the airline’s expenses.

The carrier earned $30.6 million a year earlier.

Revenues went up slightly to P1.6 billion but were not enough to cover operating expenses of $1.9 billion, up from $1.539 billion the previous year. Total liabilities also went up by almost a fifth to $869 million, while total assets decreased by $60.6 million to $1.971 billion.

Mr. Bautista told BusinessWorld the company was considering offering early retirement packages, executive pay cuts, and giving workers "breaks for a few days."

"There is still no definite program how to address this. Normally, when you make decisions to reduce manpower, you look at other possible measures first. [Reducing our employees] is the last recourse," he said.

The airline currently has more than 8,000 employees.

Mr. Bautista said PAL had adopted various measures to cut operating expenses, including the reduction of international flights.

Flights to Los Angeles, for instance, are now down to seven per week from nine, while those for San Francisco have been cut to seven from eight per week.

Next month, PAL will reduce its Vancouver flights to just five per week from daily.

While the number of domestic passengers rose by 17% during the first quarter, the number of international passengers slipped by 8%, mostly because of slowing demand from the US.

The airline will also sell a Boeing 737 to raise some $8-10 million. While it will push through with the delivery of Boeing 777-300ERs this year, Mr. Bautista said plane purchases were on hold.

PAL shareholders yesterday approved a quasi-reorganization plan, reducing the par value of the firm’s shares to P0.20 from P0.80 per share. It will also increase its authorized capital stock to P20 billion from P16 billion, divided into 100 billion shares at P0.20 per share.

"The airline reduced its par value to attract investors to invest in PAL. Hopefully the present shareholders will put in equity," Mr. Bautista said.

Outsiders may be invited to buy new shares, he said.

Tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan owns 86% of PAL.

"There is still no definite figure as to how much [in new shares will be] sold. We are also closely working with our financial advisers to tap the debt market but credit is quite tight right now. There is no definite plan how much we might borrow," he said.

PAL in 1998 was forced to file for receivership, citing the impact of a the Asian financial crisis. It returned to profit in 2000 and was declared in financial health two years ago.

"Hopefully the 1998 incident will not happen again but right now the company is working on a rationalizing program. We have tightened our belt in PAL [because] we really need to [cut costs]. This is another challenging year and hopefully the market rebounds and we will able to generate the cash," Mr. Bautista said. — K. J. R. Liu with JF

c6josh

August 28th, 2009, 08:20 AM

More flights to lure more Taiwanese

MORE TAIWANESE tourists are expected to flock to the country this year as airlines offer more flights, even if the first half saw a 14.9% year-on-year dip in these visitors.

In a statement yesterday, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office pointed to Mandarin Airlines’ plan to offer charter flights from Taiwan to Kalibo, Aklan this October as a growth driver, on top of China Airlines’ recent offering to fly charter planes from Taipei and Kaohshiung to Cebu, and from Taipei to Kalibo.

bustero

August 28th, 2009, 12:22 PM

julzandrew

August 28th, 2009, 04:22 PM

oh no PAL

dashalvin

August 28th, 2009, 04:56 PM

So ibebenta pala ng PAL ang isang 737 nila at baka sumunod na ang Air Phil planes. Huhuhu. Baka di nagbibigay ng tithes si Tan sa God.

kiretoce

August 28th, 2009, 05:21 PM

Baka di nagbibigay ng tithes si Tan sa God.

:lol: That's hella funny!

Gulf Coast

August 29th, 2009, 02:09 AM

New flights for PR effective September 1:

Additional flight to CDO via PR 179
Additional flight to KLO via PR 327

Aircraft and Crew Scheme for Cebu-Davao will be like this:

PR809 Mnl-Dvo then PR410 Dvo-Ceb then PR844 Ceb-Mnl
and
PR843 Mnl-Ceb then PR409 Ceb-Dvo then PPR810 Dvo Ceb

*Dvo-Ceb-Dvo's total blocktime is just 55 minutes equivalent to that of LGP but there will be no service. Water will be upon request:)

Franz-Bxu

August 29th, 2009, 02:24 AM

Why not return PAL to the hands of the Philippine Government?

hybridace101

August 29th, 2009, 03:55 AM

^^

In exchange for substandard service (look at how the airports are managed)?

hikouki

August 29th, 2009, 04:55 AM

So ibebenta pala ng PAL ang isang 737 nila at baka sumunod na ang Air Phil planes. Huhuhu. Baka di nagbibigay ng tithes si Tan sa God.

Eh di ba may nagsabi di nga daw siya nagbabayad ng tax...tithes pa kaya?:runaway:

ngprofflorida

August 29th, 2009, 05:53 AM

PAL aborts plan to fly to Europe
By Lynda B. Valencia

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MANILA, Aug. 29 (PNA) – Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is not pursuing any plans to fly to Europe.

PAL President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jaime J. Bautista told the Philippines News Agency that “We don’t have any plans to fly to Europe, nor Italy and the rest of Europe.”

”Even (though) there is an amended air service agreement (ASA) between the United Kingdom (UK) and the Philippines, we cannot fly there, at this point in time,” Bautista said.

UK and the Philippines amended its air service agreement (ASA) in expanding the frequency to 14 flights per week between the two countries, inclusive of daily flights between the two capitals.

On the other hand, Tourism Secretary Joseph ‘Ace’ Durano said he lauded the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in their move to improve the ASA between the country and the UK, saying “Identifying these key destinations is a clear indications of the strength of our market in these regions.”

The country’s amended air pact with UK allows seven flights per week on a B747 aircraft, accommodating more than 500 passengers between Manila and four destinations in the UK, which include London, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead.

As of 2008, there are more than 200,000 registered Filipino migrants in Britain.

Durano said the European market, which is considered one of the high spenders in tourism-related activities, would be drawn to the country’s nature and adventure sports.

PAL’s annual report showed an increase in revenues to US$ 1.634 billion, from US$ 1.504 billion in 2008, after carrying 17 percent more passengers due to acquisition of additional aircraft and growth in the domestic market.

However, the cost of operating more flights, which involved higher maintenance expense and compounded by high fuel prices, raised expenses to US$ 1.9 billion, from US$ 1.539 billion the previous year.

When the global crisis led to a travel slump in the latter part of the year, PAL's passenger load factor fell to an average of 76.2 percent, three points lower than the previous year.

PAL also paid US$ 165.4 million in principal and interest to its creditors, bringing to US$ 2.4 billion the total amount paid from March 1999 to March 2009. Total assets decreased by US$ 60.6 million to US$ 1.971 billion, while total liabilities rose by US$ 239.5 million over the previous year.

”PAL, like all other global airlines, is facing the specter of extremely weak passenger traffic and cargo demand amidst the protracted world economic meltdown, “ Bautista said

diz

August 29th, 2009, 06:09 AM

T_T

Noize_320

August 29th, 2009, 06:19 AM

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/219/copyofsdc12001copy.jpg

And i just realized...monday pa pala ang last flight...which means i can still take final pics of this airline...hehe

dashalvin

August 29th, 2009, 10:59 AM

Eh di ba may nagsabi di nga daw siya nagbabayad ng tax...tithes pa kaya?:runaway:

Ito kasi yong sekreto nila Bill Gates para lalong lumaki ang wealth nila. The more you give, the more you receive...

Sky Harbor

August 29th, 2009, 03:12 PM

habagatcentral1

August 29th, 2009, 03:14 PM

jef_xavier

August 29th, 2009, 06:28 PM

Just a thought, it's possible that Airphils will be retained, except that it will be repainted as PAL express.

It will be operated still by Airphils but under PALEX.

mwg12a

August 29th, 2009, 06:34 PM

So, what would happen to Air Philippines fleets? Are they going to be decommissioned or what?

ngprofflorida

August 29th, 2009, 10:41 PM

So, what would happen to Air Philippines fleets? Are they going to be decommissioned or what?

Hopefully my friend they will turn into presidential plane na lang.

pthfndr19

August 30th, 2009, 12:11 AM

^^ I-donate nalang ng Airphils ang isang 737 nila sa Phil.Air Force hehe:lol:

mwg12a

August 30th, 2009, 12:24 AM

Hopefully my friend they will turn into presidential plane na lang.

Hopefully. Mukhang yagit na yagit ang pinas pag may mga asean meet or something.

c6josh

August 30th, 2009, 05:17 AM

SEAIR launches 'Buy 1, Take 1' promo

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 08/29/2009 6:35 PM

MANILA - Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR), the country's premiere leisure airline, is offering promotional fares at the 20th Philippine Travel Mart Sale in SM Megamall on September 4.

Travelers can purchase "Buy 1, Take 1" Batanes round-trip tickets for only P14,344, all in. They can also avail of a 75% discount on Boracay round-trip tickets for P3,500, all in. Travel and ticket validity period for the promo runs until October 15, 2009.

SEAIR is set to increase its flights bound for Caticlan, the nearest entry point to the famous Boracay, to 32 from 27 a day starting October 15. It will also have daily flights to Basco, Batanes from October 12 onwards.

Currently, SEAIR is the only airline flying directly to both locations. PAL Express and Cebu Pacific have diverted their Caticlan-bound flights to Kalibo due to changes in airport operating conditions.

SEAIR has flown almost 3 million passengers to various local destinations.
as of 08/29/2009 6:38 PM

hybridace101

August 30th, 2009, 06:58 AM

Why does PR mainly use A320s for a major city like SIN while HKG is treated to a jumbo jet upto 2x a day despite its short distance from MNL?

jef_xavier

August 30th, 2009, 08:24 AM

Question: Can't an A319 land in Naga Airport (WNP)?

Sky Harbor

August 30th, 2009, 09:38 AM

^^ No it cannot. The runway at WNP is too short to support A319s and A320s.

gustokiddo

August 30th, 2009, 09:54 AM

"Why does PR mainly use A320s for a major city like SIN while HKG is treated to a jumbo jet upto 2x a day despite its short distance from MNL? "
- maybe its because of the passenger load

Sky Harbor

August 30th, 2009, 10:07 AM

^^ Not just loads, but frequency as well. Five times a day on an A320 is better than twice a day on an A330 or a 747. It gives people a lot of options despite the smaller size of the plane.

hybridace101

August 30th, 2009, 10:31 AM

boom_box

August 30th, 2009, 11:01 AM

Question though...
It's hard to align or control the plane on approach. How do you properly land a plane without too much motion and speed? I've got problems with plane going TOGA when landing on low speed. Thanks! :)

based ko lang sa simulator... :lol:
for ILS Landing.. ie, landing in MNL, BCD, CEB, DVO, ILO.. its easy because the flight computers handles the right approach for ILS guidance system..
compose of Glideslope and Localizer... they disconnect the autopilot about 1,500 ft for correction.. sometimes Autoland system is not accurate all the times... just like what happen to the incident of Turkish Airlines landing in Schiphol...

for Visual and Non-Precision Approach, i.e, landing in DGT on runway 09 or any airports in the Philippines without ILS system... medyo expected talaga hard landing nyan.. kasi hand flying.. at lalo na kung crosswind landings... pure visual lang talaga cue ng mga pilots lalo ng yung PAPI lights..

boom_box

August 30th, 2009, 11:14 AM

sad but true... :(

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/170857/philippine-airlines-may-cut-jobs-reduce-flights

Philippine Airlines may cut jobs, reduce flights
CHERYL M. ARCIBAL, GMANews.TV

Philippines Airlines (PAL) announced it may cut jobs and may mount fewer flights after posting multi-million dollar losses at the end of its fiscal year in March.

“Decisive steps" will be taken to help PAL survive the crisis after the Lucio Tan-owned airline posted $301.4 million in losses as of end-March this year, the company said in a statement.

These steps include cutting its workforce and realigning operations to match demand, the company added.

Management will offer early retirement packages for its employees as a way of enhancing productivity and reducing costs, Jaime J. Bautista, PAL president and chief operating officer, said.

The company is currently reviewing its entire organizational set-up to make the workforce “lean and mean," he added.

PAL shares the same predicament with giant airlines whose operations were severely hit by the slowdown in passenger traffic.

PAL, which claims to be Asia’s first airline, is also set to mount lesser flights to US, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia.

“Seven percent of the airline’s total capacity would be reduced effective this month until March 2010," Bautista said.

However, flights to domestic destinations will be increased.

The company is “eyeing new destinations either through charters or regular scheduled operations," Bautista said.

Besides expecting the delivery of brand new and fuel-efficient Boeing 777-300ERs, the company is also in the final stages of refurbishing its current fleet of wide-bodied aircraft to feature a bi-class configuration, new seats, and state-of-the-art entertainment systems.

In the meantime, PAL shareholders approved a quasi-reorganization plan, reducing the par value of PAL shares to P0.20 from P0.80 per share. It will also increase its authorized capital stock from P16 billion to P20 billion divided into 100 billion shares at P0.20 per share.

During the period, PAL’s revenues rose to $1.634 billion, from $1.504 billion the previous year. Revenues rose because it transported more passengers after the company bought additional aircraft.

However, the cost of operating more flights, which involved higher maintenance costs and compounded by record-high fuel prices, raised expenses to $1.9 billion from $1.539 billion the previous year.

Fuel comprises 44 percent of PAL's operating expenses.

When the global crisis led to a travel slump in the latter part of the year, PAL's passenger load factor fell to an average of 76.2 percent, three points lower than the previous year.

PAL also reported paying $165.4 million in principal and interest to its creditors, bringing to $2.4 billion the total paid amount from March 1999 to March 2009.

With the protracted recession, the International Air Transport Association said its member-airlines are bracing for $9 billion in total combined losses by the end of the current fiscal year.

Sky Harbor

August 30th, 2009, 11:18 AM

But why are regional competitors like CX and SQ using wide-bodies? Aren't narrow-bodies cramped?

I notice that an A320 on regional-international flights is not just common for RP-based carriers but EU carriers as well. Under normal circumstances, what is the farthest city from MNL an A319 or A320 travel?

The farthest scheduled routes (excluding charters) for PR's A319s and A320s are:

* A319: HKG (previously CTU)
* A320: ICN

However, consider that the only aircraft CX and SQ have are all long-haul wide-body aircraft, and by extension, those are the only aircraft they can send. Likewise, PAL has a shortage of long-haul aircraft, something only being alleviated now by the arrival of the 77Ws.

numiX

August 30th, 2009, 12:23 PM

Here's a brand-new trip report for everyone's perusal:

From Sin Galore to Sin No More (I Hope): MNL-SIN-MNL on Cebu Pacific (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/989222-sin-galore-sin-no-more-i-hope-mnl-sin-mnl-5j.html)

Enjoy while I rush finishing the TR for MNL-CEB-MNL in time for Monday.

Thank you for the comment. As a Ceb Pac employee , i am truly pleased to hear stories like yours. Even though some people criticize this airline to disengage it to be a threat to their favorite airline (you know), and sometimes their complains are valid and, i do understand their frustration. Ceb Pac is creating a new market. If some people decides to fly with us, instead of the old ones. Maybe were doing something right. Problems do occur in an airline industry, and we acknowledge that. The effort to cut cost is making us a stable airline. Thanx and God bless.. hope to see you in one of my flights.hehe

Sky Harbor

August 30th, 2009, 12:50 PM

^^ I won't count on it for a while. My next two (or three) trips are on PR, 2P and (probably) Z2, unless 5J convinces me otherwise. I would like it though that if like Zest, Cebu Pacific can give passengers free water.

But yes, lessons are learned, and hopefully Cebu Pacific will not revert to any more overtures of Sin Galore. Hopefully I'll see you on a future Cebu Pacific flight. :D

hikouki

August 30th, 2009, 01:24 PM

But why are regional competitors like CX and SQ using wide-bodies? Aren't narrow-bodies cramped?

I notice that an A320 on regional-international flights is not just common for RP-based carriers but EU carriers as well. Under normal circumstances, what is the farthest city from MNL an A319 or A320 travel?

CX and SQ do not own any narrowbodies. Their subsidiaries (KA and MI, respectively) do.

The passenger and cargo loads on the MNL-HKG runs justify the use of jumbo jets as opposed to just A320s. On certain occasions, PAL also uses the jumbos to BKK when load justifies it.

WawaY[625]

August 30th, 2009, 01:46 PM

Thank you for the comment. As a Ceb Pac employee , i am truly pleased to hear stories like yours. Even though some people criticize this airline to disengage it to be a threat to their favorite airline (you know), and sometimes their complains are valid and, i do understand their frustration. Ceb Pac is creating a new market. If some people decides to fly with us, instead of the old ones. Maybe were doing something right. Problems do occur in an airline industry, and we acknowledge that. The effort to cut cost is making us a stable airline. Thanx and God bless.. hope to see you in one of my flights.hehe

oi tiga 5J ka pala hehe nga pala, bat ganun,yung refund ko sa credit card ko for the flight i cancelled (last year pa) hanggang ngayon di ko pa nakukuha, may mga S$97 pa ata ako dapat ma refund pero walang nangyari..oh well, charge to experience na lang hehe

and di lang sa akin nangyari yan...http://www.pinoysg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22080&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

so pag nagbobook kami ng friends ko sa 5J, tinitake into consideration na namin na pag nagcancel kami eh malabo pa sa pusit na ma refund (although sabi sa system may certain amount na ma rerefund)

hybridace101

August 30th, 2009, 02:06 PM

The farthest scheduled routes (excluding charters) for PR's A319s and A320s are:

* A319: HKG (previously CTU)
* A320: ICN

However, consider that the only aircraft CX and SQ have are all long-haul wide-body aircraft, and by extension, those are the only aircraft they can send. Likewise, PAL has a shortage of long-haul aircraft, something only being alleviated now by the arrival of the 77Ws.

Hmmm... considering that RP-C8168 may leave the fleet within the next year if not few months, and PR's decision to defer purchase of 4 77Ws, we may only see a very slight increase in capacity with a net increase in wide-bodies of 1. I am thinking the previous year's net loss has a lot to do with the decision for why we won't be seeing more widebodies for around another 5 years.

But theoretically, how far can an A319/A320 travel (i.e. even among cities not served by PR or any national carrier)?

And why aren't there any narrowbodies in CX and SQ in the first place granted what you said?

numiX

August 30th, 2009, 04:40 PM

;42099594']oi tiga 5J ka pala hehe nga pala, bat ganun,yung refund ko sa credit card ko for the flight i cancelled (last year pa) hanggang ngayon di ko pa nakukuha, may mga S$97 pa ata ako dapat ma refund pero walang nangyari..oh well, charge to experience na lang hehe

and di lang sa akin nangyari yan...http://www.pinoysg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22080&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

so pag nagbobook kami ng friends ko sa 5J, tinitake into consideration na namin na pag nagcancel kami eh malabo pa sa pusit na ma refund (although sabi sa system may certain amount na ma rerefund)

sorry man.. i do in flight service. Cant help you on that. Some guests were asking me the same question. And i cant answer that..:ohno:

Sky Harbor

August 30th, 2009, 04:55 PM

Hmmm... considering that RP-C8168 may leave the fleet within the next year if not few months, and PR's decision to defer purchase of 4 77Ws, we may only see a very slight increase in capacity with a net increase in wide-bodies of 1. I am thinking the previous year's net loss has a lot to do with the decision for why we won't be seeing more widebodies for around another 5 years.

I'll correct you there on a few points:

* RP-C8168 just had its lease renewed, and it will not be leaving the PAL fleet anytime soon.
* The deferral of the four 77Ws was for delivery, not purchase
* Both RP-C7777 and RP-C7773, the GECAS-leased 77Ws, will arrive in November and January, respectively. Expect an increase of two widebodies.

But theoretically, how far can an A319/A320 travel (i.e. even among cities not served by PR or any national carrier)?

* A319: 3700 nm
* A320: 3000 nm

And why aren't there any narrowbodies in CX and SQ in the first place granted what you said?

Because CX and SQ don't see the need for them when they have no domestic flights to speak of in the first place, and they can effectively utilize their widebodies when capacity sees the need for them.

Gulf Coast

August 30th, 2009, 04:59 PM

Sky Harbor

August 30th, 2009, 05:07 PM

^^ I just checked, and PEK is farther than ICN by around 100 nautical miles.

Gulf Coast

August 30th, 2009, 05:10 PM

^^ Yup:)

hybridace101

August 30th, 2009, 05:41 PM

* A319: 3700 nm
* A320: 3000 nm

Which perhaps means that an A319 can go as far as SYD from MNL (3381 nm) or an A320 can go between JFK and LHR (3002 nm)? If so, then 5J's plans of going to Australia may make sense with its current resources.

Because CX and SQ don't see the need for them when they have no domestic flights to speak of in the first place, and they can effectively utilize their widebodies when capacity sees the need for them.

One thing they have in common, for most purposes, they are city-states. However, they have nearby foreign neighbours with distances that match MNL-DVO, LHR-FCO or JFK-LAX.

I stand corrected about the 4 77Ws. However my point was just they won't be in operation for another 5 years so there still won't be enough wide bodies in the fleet to handle expansion plans. I strongly doubt we will be back in Cat1 next year and PR has shelved plans to go to the European Community. Having said all of that, those along with the global recession may not give PR more enthusiasm about receiving new widebodies.

mikem488

August 31st, 2009, 04:39 AM

There was an article in Cambodia that PAL had signed an agreement to start flight to Phnom Penh soon. Wonder with the announcement of their cutbacks weather they will delay the start?

hikouki

August 31st, 2009, 06:04 AM

...
Because CX and SQ don't see the need for them when they have no domestic flights to speak of in the first place, and they can effectively utilize their widebodies when capacity sees the need for them.

Both SQ and CX do not operate domestic flights but they do have shuttle flights - short routes, possibly trimmed down inflight service that enjoy high frequencies (possibly more if operated with smaller equipment). Today, the major carriers only concentrate on fewer frequencies on these routes as they carry the premium passengers and cargo, instead of trying to capture the whole market as in the old days. The LCCs and regional subsidiaries take care of the lower segments of the market.

During the '80s, SQ was in search of a regional plane and ordered both the 757-200 and A310-200. Both performed well on regional runs. In the end, SQ went the way of the A310 because of two reasons: cargo space (the 757 cannot take in any pallets); and passenger comfort (many preferred the widebodied A310 over the 752).

SQ used to operate the SIN-KUL shuttle with A310s (and a few 777s) with as many frequencies a day. Ditto some of their Indonesia routes. And I say these are comparable to domestic services because way back in the mid-2000s and earlier, you really feel like you are taking a domestic flight on these sectors. The flights were extremely short, inflight service is trimmed down to basics (LCCs weren't popular then) and you don't earn miles even up front. MH preferred its 737s on this route. At least one plane leaves every hour. Today, both SQ and MH fly a limited number of flights - only carrying the premium passengers and most of the cargo. The low-yielding passengers now take AK, TR and I think even MI(?). The hourly frequency (using small aircraft) is not so much an issue for SQ and MH anymore. SQ has MI and TR for that.

SQ created SilkAir out of its tour operator TradeWinds to operate narrowbody flights to regional destinations whose passengers were mostly low-yield. It is not uncommon for SQ to open a route only for MI to takeover a few months later. SQ wanted to cash-in on this market without diluting their brand.

Up north, CX has HKG-TPE. It had its fair share of narrowbody flights, albeit from CI, BR and KA. But the demand for premium seats and cargo continues to be high. At a certain point, CX alone operated a total of 17 frequencies a day! Flights were recently standardized to all-widebody service as CX and KA consolidated its operations. This route is now being cannibalized by direct Taiwan-Mainland flights. Even BR and CI now only use widebodies on this route, with reduced frequencies.

CX never saw the need for narrowbodies. It had AirHK to do Charter and long-range cargo flights. Then later bought KA.

hybridace101

August 31st, 2009, 06:06 AM

There was an article in Cambodia that PAL had signed an agreement to start flight to Phnom Penh soon. Wonder with the announcement of their cutbacks weather they will delay the start?

If the European Community is off the table, we haven't heard much about Indian destinations, then all the more Cambodia. Domestic destinations though will see a spike but maybe that's because 2P folded into PR.

Noize_320

August 31st, 2009, 06:22 AM

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4673/sdc12048copy.jpg

:applause: :goodbye:

maganda sana kung gawing freighter ito...hehehe~

hikouki

August 31st, 2009, 06:28 AM

Which perhaps means that an A319 can go as far as SYD from MNL (3381 nm) or an A320 can go between JFK and LHR (3002 nm)? If so, then 5J's plans of going to Australia may make sense with its current resources.

...

MNL-SYD = 3879 mi (great circle mapper (http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=mnl-syd&RANGE=&PATH-COLOR=&PATH-UNITS=mi&PATH-MINIMUM=&SPEED-GROUND=&SPEED-UNITS=kts&RANGE-STYLE=best&RANGE-COLOR=&MAP-STYLE=))
JFK-LHR = 3451

The 737s and A320s that operate the EU-USA routes are premium-configured with only 50 or less seats. The 5J A319s have more seats necessitating two sets of overwing emergency exits rather than the standard one set.

hybridace101

August 31st, 2009, 09:52 AM

MNL-SYD = 3879 mi (great circle mapper (http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=mnl-syd&RANGE=&PATH-COLOR=&PATH-UNITS=mi&PATH-MINIMUM=&SPEED-GROUND=&SPEED-UNITS=kts&RANGE-STYLE=best&RANGE-COLOR=&MAP-STYLE=))
JFK-LHR = 3451

I think you were using statutory miles in your distances. Although MNL-SYD is 10 miles greater than what I got from the site I checked, at least the one reported in the great circle mapper is still within the range of an A319.

hikouki

August 31st, 2009, 12:13 PM

I think you were using statutory miles in your distances. Although MNL-SYD is 10 miles greater than what I got from the site I checked, at least the one reported in the great circle mapper is still within the range of an A319.

5J A319s and A320s are configured with more seats than usual, making them heavier. Here are some technical specs (http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a320/a319/specifications.html), and here are some range charts (http://www.airbus.com/index.php?id=299). Pick A319 and turn to page 3-2-1 page 2.

Besides, they said before that their initial flights to Australia may possibly be Darwin, which is within the four-hour flying range. Their high-capacity 'busses will have to stop somewhere between MNL and SYD/MEL.

Sky Harbor

August 31st, 2009, 01:53 PM

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4673/sdc12048copy.jpg

:applause: :goodbye:

That was the plane that brought me to ILO today... :lol:

Noize_320

August 31st, 2009, 02:19 PM

^^ at what time po? this was taken @9 AM btw,

Sky Harbor

August 31st, 2009, 03:20 PM

^^ Around noon. If I'm not mistaken, the routing of this 737 is MNL-ILO-CEB-DVO-CEB-ILO-MNL.

boom_box

August 31st, 2009, 04:47 PM

LHR BA Terminal 5...

06e0WQ8p9N0

I love the line.. Making T5 Safe, Quality, Within Budget, Bang on Target.

OT:

sino may data ng flight numbers at schedules sa old european at north american routes ng Philippine Airlines..?
(FCO, CDG, ZRH, LGW, ORD, JFK, EWR)

hikouki

August 31st, 2009, 05:19 PM

...
sino may data ng flight numbers at schedules sa old european at north american routes ng Philippine Airlines..?
(FCO, CDG, ZRH, LGW, ORD, JFK, EWR)

IIRC, the current PR 730/ 731 (MNL-BKK-MNL) is the same flight number for either FRA or CDG (which were both routed through BKK). I don't know exactly which of the two carried 730 and 731. These numbers could not have been LHR as this flight was operated nonstop prior to the shutdown.

boom_box

August 31st, 2009, 05:23 PM

at LHR..? I was searching some pics Airliners.net and I saw the PR's 747-200 parked at LGW...?

hybridace101

August 31st, 2009, 05:49 PM

I have a flight leaving at an unholy hour of 6.30. During off-peak seasons, are international flights leaving at this time via PR usually full (i.e. at least 75% full)?

I really prefer getting on an A330 but PR is quite unpredictable. For all I know because the 7.30 flight is "overbooked" as of when I rebooked, they might just use an A330. I hope I'm wrong.

pthfndr19

August 31st, 2009, 11:32 PM

Goodbye Air Philippines! All the best to PAL Express/Philippine Airlines! :)

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_0117.jpg

hikouki

September 1st, 2009, 02:50 AM

at LHR..? I was searching some pics Airliners.net and I saw the PR's 747-200 parked at LGW...?

Just prior to the shutdown, LHR was flown nonstop thrice a week mainly with the A340-200. It's on their mabuhay mag. They flew to LGW with a stopover somewhere (probably BKK) prior to that.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Philippine-Airlines/Airbus-A340-313X/0277947/L/&sid=00554da75a4b3e99393afbd7851fd16d
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Philippine-Airlines/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-10-30/1423330/L/&sid=00554da75a4b3e99393afbd7851fd16d

c6josh

September 1st, 2009, 12:17 PM

Cebu Pacific posts turnaround amid global recession
09/01/2009 | 03:28 PM
Email this Email the Editor Print | | More
Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific Air Inc. reversed last year’s losses as it increased routes, flight frequencies and capacity with the purchase of more Airbus A320 and ATR72-500.

In a statement, Cebu Pacific said it had posted a P1.82 billion net income during the first semester from P15.66-million net loss the same period last year.

“We are very happy that despite the economic recession, and the dynamic changes in foreign exchange and fuel costs, we remain a profitable and financially strong airline," Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog.

Revenues grew by 21.3 percent to P11.39 billion from P9.39 billion.

Asia’s third largest low-cost carrier transports more passengers to 32 domestic and 14 international destinations from its Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao hubs.

It currently operates the newest fleet in the country, composed of 21 Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft as well as 8 ATR72-500 aircraft. It expects delivery of 17 more Airbus and two ATR aircraft from the last quarter of 2009 until 2014.

Recently, it increased its Manila-Hong Kong service to four times daily, its Manila-Singapore service to thrice daily and its Manila-Kuala Lumpur service to daily flights.

“Our low-cost carrier strategy has made more and more people utilize air travel for business and leisure travel. We will continue to offer our value fares and convenient routes for the benefit of our passengers," she added. -Ruby Anne M. Rubio, GMANews.TV

jogavilz

September 1st, 2009, 06:17 PM

i hope someone can grab a copy of airways magazine, september 2009 issue. (http://www.airwaysmag.com/channels.html?article_id=193&channel_id=16)mactan airport is featured in this issue

springcity

September 2nd, 2009, 03:30 AM

Goodbye Air Philippines! All the best to PAL Express/Philippine Airlines! :)

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_0117.jpg

is it true that Airphil planes will only be repainted with PAL Express logo nad soon will fly again to its respective destinations?

Fraulein

September 2nd, 2009, 04:35 AM

Hi guys!

I just want to share my flight experience last August 30 and September 1, 2009

August 30 - PR853 Manila - Cebu
Aircraft was Boeing 747-400. It was my first time to ride this aircraft. It's 70-75% full. AVOD is working properly. Flight was smooth. :)

September 1 - PR858 Cebu - Manila
Aircraft was Airbus 330-300. Many times I rode this aircraft from MNL-GES; DVO-MNL. It's 95-98% full. As in ang daming pasahero, pati na rn sa Business class, puno rin. Walang AVOD pero sobrang lamig sa loob. Smooth ang flight lalo na ang landling namin sa Manila.

Yun lang po. :)

dashalvin

September 2nd, 2009, 05:09 AM

Ang sikip pala sa loob ng A320 ng 5J. Mas spacious pa ang A320 ng Z2.

xzibit31

September 2nd, 2009, 09:40 AM

Ang sikip pala sa loob ng A320 ng 5J. Mas spacious pa ang A320 ng Z2.

ang 5j kasi parang commuter bus or provincial bus ang dating kasi sobrang sikip sa loob. ang z2 naman parang tourist bus na maluwang.....hehehehehe....:lol:

sandman.ink

September 2nd, 2009, 12:31 PM

ok ba ang flight experience with PAL express, parang small aircraft kasi...feel ko they fly under the weather.

hybridace101

September 2nd, 2009, 03:15 PM

I'm still wondering if flights at an unholy hour of 6.30 from MNL to an overseas destination are usually full. My flight is booked at that time.

dashalvin

September 2nd, 2009, 03:32 PM

Bakit unholy hour ang 6:30?

hybridace101

September 2nd, 2009, 04:24 PM

Well because of the 3-hour recommended check-in time I have to wake-up 2.30 just to fix-up and leave the house a little after 3 to arrive at the airport plenty of time.

Sky Harbor

September 2nd, 2009, 04:32 PM

^^ 6:30 am isn't unholy. 4:30 is, and I've experienced it first-hand.

But anyway, it depends on which destination. Aircraft upgrades in low season are fairly uncommon, and whatever aircraft the reservations engine tells you is normally the aircraft they send.

hybridace101

September 2nd, 2009, 04:40 PM

Howabout SIN?

Sky Harbor

September 2nd, 2009, 04:52 PM

^^ SIN rarely gets upgauged to planes larger than A320s. Normally they upgauge around Christmastime or summertime, but not in September.

hybridace101

September 2nd, 2009, 05:11 PM

Hmmm, so will I expect a relatively lose (not so full) morning flight come early-mid October on the A320s. I don't mind the small aircraft, I'm just hoping that since it is a flight a little after sunrise, the plane isn't full since people need to be at the airport in the wee hours of the morning.

Here's the thing, I booked flights involving A330 both ways last April but I only found out last week that PR cancelled it (perhaps due to the losses the carrier mounted). If the timetable said that those flights will be available through a certain period and I book them, does PR normally have the right to cancel it for no good reason? It was only fair that they should have told us back then it won't be available at the time we intend to fly out so we can make proper arrangements.

c6josh

September 2nd, 2009, 05:59 PM

Cebu Pacific earns nearly P2B in first half
Business world Philippines
September 2, 2009

WITH ADDITIONAL routes and flights as well as higher capacity, Gokongwei-led budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air earned P1.82 billion in profits in the first half, a reversal of last year’s net loss.

Revenues grew by a fifth to P11.39 billion, from last year’s P9.39 billion following additional routes, an increase in flight frequencies, and the acquisition of additional Airbus A320 and ATR72-500 aircraft.

Cebu Pacific lost P15.66 million in the first half of 2008. The airline said last year’s net loss was mainly due to foreign exchange losses, pointing out that on a purely operating basis, Cebu Pacific still made P900 million from January to June 2008.

For the first half of 2009, cost and operating expenses went up to P9.28 billion, from year-ago level of P8.19 billion. Foreign exchange losses recognized in the first six months only amounted to P223.38 million, a 76.7% drop from last year’s P958.72 million.

Fuel hedging gains went up significantly during the period to P471.43 million, from P77.11 million last year.

"We are very happy that despite the economic recession, and the dynamic changes in foreign exchange and fuel costs, we remain a profitable and financially strong airline," Candice A. Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice-president for marketing and distribution, said in a statement yesterday.

She noted that the airline’s low-cost carrier strategy has been effective in encouraging people to travel by plane for both business and leisure.

The budget airline operates 21 Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft and eight ATR72-500 aircraft. It expects delivery of 17 more Airbus and two ATR aircraft in the last quarter of 2009 until 2014.

In contrast, Cebu Pacific’s chief rival Philippine Airlines (PAL) had reported losses, announcing work force cuts and reducing international operations.

It will also sell a Boeing 737 to raise some $8 million to $10 million and will hold plane purchases except for Boeing 777-300ERs to be delivered this year.

The Lucio A. Tan-led airline lost $301.4 million for its fiscal year ending March 2009 as a result of higher expenses brought about by the cost of operating more flights and last year’s record-high fuel prices. Fuel accounted for 44% of the flag carrier’s expenses.

The carrier earned $30.6 million a year earlier.

PAL recorded a 21.3% decrease in net income for the quarter ending June 2009 to $35.5 million, versus the year-ago level of $45.1 million. — Jeremiah F. de Guzman

Skyblade

September 2nd, 2009, 07:31 PM

i hope someone can grab a copy of airways magazine, september 2009 issue. (http://www.airwaysmag.com/channels.html?article_id=193&channel_id=16)mactan airport is featured in this issue

Thanks for the heads up! I picked up a copy at a bookstore on my way home yesterday. Will scan it tonight. :D

Sky Harbor

September 2nd, 2009, 07:35 PM

^^ By scan I hope you mean the whole thing, and not scan as in give us a peek so we're forced to buy the mag. ;)

Skyblade

September 2nd, 2009, 07:51 PM

No worries, as (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Skyblade04/PAL.jpg) what (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Skyblade04/LTP1.jpg) was (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Skyblade04/LTP2.jpg) done (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Skyblade04/LTP3.jpg) in (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Skyblade04/yokuso.jpg) the (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Skyblade04/seaair1.jpg) past (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Skyblade04/seaair2.jpg), expect the full article posted once I get back home. ;)

ianers_ianized

September 3rd, 2009, 02:24 AM

is it true that Airphil planes will only be repainted with PAL Express logo nad soon will fly again to its respective destinations?

I am not sure... but some of the bosses here in NAIA says that 2P shall return by december with new planes... I am not sure if sencond hand or brand new A320s. Let's hope they'll return...

dashalvin

September 3rd, 2009, 04:43 AM

dashalvin

September 3rd, 2009, 04:50 AM

Cguro A320 ang new planes ng 2P kasi yun kasi ang pic na pinost ng company sa isang newspaper. Saan kaya nila ibebenta ang kanilang mga B737-200s?

seven13

September 3rd, 2009, 05:06 AM

^^ the said magazine is available in the Philippines right???

springcity

September 3rd, 2009, 06:27 AM

I am not sure... but some of the bosses here in NAIA says that 2P shall return by december with new planes... I am not sure if sencond hand or brand new A320s. Let's hope they'll return...

according to airphil staff in surigao, by october they will serve the city with bigger plane. yan din ang sabi nila sa cousin ko during his flight from manila-surigao on Sept. 1 as per info given to them sa airport during sa validation ng ticket nila. so i hope it's true nga.

springcity

September 3rd, 2009, 06:28 AM

ok ba ang flight experience with PAL express, parang small aircraft kasi...feel ko they fly under the weather.

i've tried the small planes of cebupac and pal x, parang mas tahimik yung sa cebupac and more spacious sya.

dashalvin

September 3rd, 2009, 07:22 AM

i've tried the small planes of cebupac and pal x, parang mas tahimik yung sa cebupac and more spacious sya.

ang sa Z2 ga MA60 kay below the clouds ra taman ang altitude, how bout sa 5J?

Skyblade

September 3rd, 2009, 08:11 AM

springcity

September 3rd, 2009, 09:22 AM

August 27, 2009
Press Release

Air Philippines plans the way ahead while temporarily grounding jet aircraft

Air Philippines Corporation (AirPhil) plans to reinvent itself as the country’s leading low-cost carrier with the adoption of new business plan that will require an immediate, temporary grounding of all flights to stave off further losses.

Captain Ed Medina, President of Air Philippines announced the plan involves increasing AirPhil’s capitalization, acquiring six airbus A320 aircraft, full automation of business processes and organizational restructuring.

Meanwhile, operations have been put on hold, with the grounding of flights to Cagayan de Oro and Puerto Princesa. All other flights will be temporarily grounded on September 1st.

Passengers holding AirPhil tickets will be accommodated on flights of Philippines Airlines, AirPhil’s sister company, without additional charges. Passengers should present their tickets at the PAL check-in counters at NAIA Terminal 2.

AirPhil has suffered on recent months due to high fuel expense, aggravated by the cost of operating fuel inefficient aircraft. AirPhil’s fleet of Boeing 737-200s will be retired prematurely to avoid further losses.

www.surigaocity.gov.ph/forums (http://www.surigaocity.gov.ph/forums)

ito ba yong mga A320 ng PAL?

mambo

September 3rd, 2009, 10:41 AM

^^palpak kasi business model nila... kaya nilamon silang ng cebu pacific

dashalvin

September 3rd, 2009, 12:25 PM

At last bibili na rin ang AirPhil ng A320s.

jogavilz

September 3rd, 2009, 01:27 PM

Thanks for the heads up! I picked up a copy at a bookstore on my way home yesterday. Will scan it tonight. :D

yey!!! thanks very much!!! i dunno kasi where to buy here in manila.

Noize_320

September 3rd, 2009, 01:45 PM

ito ba yong mga A320 ng PAL?

where is that article's source aside from that surigao forum?

blue++

September 3rd, 2009, 03:25 PM

^^oh, really? papalit sila ng aircraft? good for them, hoping di ang mga pinaglumaan ng PAL kunin nila. Change na dapat ng business scheme and PAL, they must not let this happen, kaya ayun, they lost....:ohno:

hybridace101

September 3rd, 2009, 04:52 PM

What aircrafts does PR use automated (pre-recorded) announcements for take-off, landing, etc?

dashalvin

September 3rd, 2009, 04:52 PM

Kulang ng advertisement ang PAL.

dashalvin

September 3rd, 2009, 04:54 PM

So ang bagong A320s ng 2P ay hindi pwedeng makaserve sa dati nitong routes na malilit ang mga airports.

jef_xavier

September 3rd, 2009, 05:07 PM

So ang bagong A320s ng 2P ay hindi pwedeng makaserve sa dati nitong routes na malilit ang mga airports.

Right... like WNP talagang PAL express na talaga ang magseserve doon.

Sky Harbor

September 3rd, 2009, 05:30 PM

What aircrafts does PR use automated (pre-recorded) announcements for take-off, landing, etc?

All of them. However, they're fairly uncommon, and I've never seen a single flight completely reliant on pre-recorded messages.

Gulf Coast

September 3rd, 2009, 06:23 PM

All of them. However, they're fairly uncommon, and I've never seen a single flight completely reliant on pre-recorded messages.

It is impossible to have a single flight completely reliant on PRAM and the reasons?

1. It does not have a PRAM for every destinations. Head CA is required to state the city and airport name.

2. No PRAM for special handling pax. ("For pax who requested for special assistance, please deplane last for proper....)

3. No PRAM for smooth pax flow for big aircraft.

4. No PRAM for Captains name. (In command of this aircraft is....)

5. NO PRAM for special announcements like Davao's smoking ban and PPS' clean and green program.

6. No PRAM for flight details such as flying time and altitude...

etc... :)

Blueleo

September 3rd, 2009, 07:50 PM

Ito sana ang plano ng Airphils...:ancient::baaa::soon:

Air Philippines to acquire six new aircraft for $120M
By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
Monday, January 21, 2008 The Philippine Star

Budget domestic carrier Air Philippines plans to acquire six new aircraft totaling at least $120 million during the fourth quarter of 2008 as part of its modernization and expansion program.
It was learned that the company, owned by taipan Lucio Tan who also controls Philippine Airlines (PAL), will be purchasing initially six Q400s, which are 76-seater planes and sister ship to the Q300s currently being used by Air Philippines.
The acquisition will be financed either through operating lease, finance lease, or export credit, officials revealed.
During the January to December 2007 period, Air Philippines carried a total of one million domestic passengers as compared to PAL’s four million passengers from the latter’s domestic operations alone.
Air Philippines has started flying to Caticlan last Dec. 15 and there are plans to increase the number of flights from four to 12 flights a day utilizing three aircrafts.
The company has just acquired six Bombardier Q300 turbo-prop aircraft amounting to $56 million to serve its expanded route network, including its new Caticlan service, gateway to the island of Boracay.
Air Philippines middle of last year signed a firm order with Toronto-based Bombardier Aerospace for three of the 50-seat airliners and taken options on three more units.
The first Q300, delivered in November 2007, started the Manila-Caticlan run of the airline, which is known for its tourist-friendly ultra-low fares.
Deliveries of the other two firm orders will be in the first quarter of 2008, while the option aircraft, should Air Philippines exercise its rights, are due after 2008.
Air Philippines currently operates eight Boeing 737-200 jet aircraft serving a network of 12 points in the Philippines from hubs in Manila and Cebu. It also operates regular charter flights to points in Korea.
It will be phasing out its Boeing 737-200s and have its future fleet comprising Airbus A320s, newer 737 ‘Classics’ and Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s in addition to Q300s.
The carrier currently operates a fleet of eight 737-200s and one Q300 with two more on order.
Company president Edilberto Medina earlier said the carrier’s first 737-300 is due to be delivered on this month on lease from Air Philippines’ sister carrier PAL, which owns the aircraft.
Medina said Air Philippines this year will begin grounding its eight 737-200s and he predicts that in 2010 it will only have two left and these will be grounded by the end of that year.
It is currently seeking to lease newer 737 Classics and prefers the 737-400 because of its additional capacity, says Medina, adding that it “may purchase the aircraft if the price is right”.
But he also says this is only an interim solution and that starting in 2009 it plans to start adding A320s which will be the mainstay of its future fleet.
PAL has options for five A320s with delivery slots starting in 2009 and Air Philippines hopes to get those aircraft, says Medina, adding that in 2009 PAL would have completed its A320 fleet renewal.
The 737 ‘Classics’ are still needed as interim solution because Air Philippines is no longer willing to wait and incur the high fuel costs that come from operating such old and inefficient aircraft, says Medina, adding that fuel now accounts for 50 percent of the carrier’s total expenses.
It also makes no sense for Air Philippines to spend money on a heavy maintenance check and lap joint airframe check for these aircraft because it would be too costly, he added.
While the A320 seems destined to be the largest aircraft in Air Philippines’ fleet, the airline has become bullish about turboprops since its first Q300 went into scheduled operations last Dec. 15.
“We have had a good response from the Q300 and we never thought it would be a success so quickly,” says Medina.
The carrier is using its Q300 for a four-times-daily service from Manila to Caticlan, the gateway to the Philippines’ famous Boracay beach strip.
Medina said the carrier has until the end of this month to exercise the options it has for three Q300s but he is tight-lipped about the prospects of Air Philippines having a total of six Q300s.
But he revealed that the carrier definitely plans to add Q400s and is now actively seeking leases on six and hopes to have the first arrive in April.
He said the airline chose to seek second-hand Q400s rather than new ones because if it ordered Q400s from Bombardier the first would only be delivered in the last quarter of 2009.
The Q300s will be used exclusively for services from Manila and Cebu to Caticlan but the Q400s will be used on other secondary domestic routes to cities such as Basco, Busuanga, Pagadian and Surigao.
“The Q400s will be focused on secondary route opportunities we can’t support with jet operations,” Medina said, adding that some will be routes PAL used to operate on before it grounded its Fokker 50 turboprops several years ago.
Air Philippines’ push into turboprops means it will be competing against Asian Spirit and Seair which operate older turboprops. :omg::old:

hybridace101

September 4th, 2009, 12:52 AM

Sky Harbor

September 4th, 2009, 01:25 AM

springcity

September 4th, 2009, 03:23 AM

Fraulein

September 4th, 2009, 03:39 AM

New Airline route will arrive in Manila!

Shenzhen Airlines launch Jinjiang - Manila

Shenzhen Airlines on 07SEP09 is operating Jinjiang - Manila service, marks the first international service for Jinjiang airport in China. Service will begin to operate 4 times a week from 21SEP09.

Schedule as follows:
ZH9069 JJN1100 - 1300MNL JET x246
ZH9070 MNL1400 - 1600JJN JET x246

Service begins 21SEP09

http://www.airplane-pictures.net/images/uploaded-images/2008-1/27/9776.jpg

absinthe_888

September 4th, 2009, 05:33 AM

Our aviation safety rating still sucks (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=501992&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco (The Philippine Star) Updated September 04, 2009 12:00 AM

Remember when the US FAA declared our aviation safety standards leave much to be desired? Today, I will do very little writing. I will instead reproduce past news stories and past press releases from Malacañang. I will let Malacañang hang by their own words to prove my point that government cannot be run by press releases.

Ate Glue does not follow through. After she issues orders for the benefit of the TV cameras and the reporters around her, she thinks she has done her job. Ate Glue and her minions are of the impression they can get away with mediocrity and the mere semblance of doing something because we, the people, don’t care one way or another.

Remember how Ate Glue announced she fired the officer in charge of the office responsible for regulating our aviation industry? She also announced she assigned DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza to head it to make sure, daw, that we get back our world class rating in three months. It must be about two years now since we were downgraded and as far as the American FAA is concerned, we are still “an unsafe port of origin” and the US Embassy is still advising its citizens flying to and from the Philippines to use airlines from countries that meet international safety standards.

Congress passed the bill creating a new agency that Ate Glue said is needed as a first step to regaining our rating. But nothing much happened after Congress did its part. As the FAA press release indicates, we were in compliance in 2002 or at about the time Ate Glue came into office and no longer in compliance by 2007 or right in the middle of Ate Glue’s watch. In other words, she cannot blame the problem on past administrations.

Let me begin by reproducing a story in Philippine Star bylined by Marvin Sy published January 18, 2008… “President Arroyo sacked yesterday Air Transportation Office (ATO) officer-in-charge Daniel Dimagiba in connection with the recent ratings downgrade by a US aviation watchdog of the Philippines over compliance with international air safety standards.

“Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza has been designated ATO chief in concurrent capacity. The President gave Mendoza three months to address the technical and administrative issues raised by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as justification for its downgrading of the Philippines international aviation safety rating from category 1 to category 2.”

Here is a Jan. 24, 2008 press release from Malacañang: “Malacañang expressed confidence today that the United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) would reverse its decision downgrading the Philippine aviation standards from Category 1 to Category 2 and the country will regain its Category 1 status within three months.

“Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza, who is also acting Air Transportation Office (ATO) chief, said that the government is doing everything possible to comply with the international air safety standards in the interest of the riding public. He said that with the support of Congress and the commitment of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, he is confident that the ATO would overcome the problems that led to the FAA’s downgrading of the country’s aviation safety rating.”

Here is how the US government sees it in a Jan. 31, 2008 posting in the FAA website http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?-newsId=10154.

“The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently found that the Philippines does not comply with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

“The FAA had previously assessed the Philippines’s civil aviation authority in September 2002, and found it in compliance with ICAO standards. However, after a consultation in November 2007, the agency determined that the Philippines was no longer overseeing the safety of its airlines in accordance with international standards.

“The Philippines’s safety rating has been lowered from Category 1 to Category 2 under the agency’s International Aviation Safety Assessment program. A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards.

“A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or that its civil aviation authority — equivalent to the FAA — is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping or inspection procedures.”

Another US government advisory had this to say:

“The decision gives the Philippines a Category 2 rating along with countries such as Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia. It means Philippine carriers can continue flying to the US but only “under heightened FAA surveillance,” the embassy said in a statement. The embassy also advised Americans flying to and from the Philippines to use carriers from countries whose civil aviation authorities meet international standards.”

The Arroyo administration owes us an explanation for its failure to regain our category one status within three months, the time they themselves promised to do so. We hear that budgetary problems are the cause of the delay. But if Ate Glue can still gallivant all over the world in style and her porkers in Congress are still getting their pounds of fat, the budget problem excuse does not hold water.

Why is this problem critical? One, we don’t want to be in the same category as Bangladesh and Ivory Coast. Even Ate Glue said we are among the upper middle income countries of the world.

Two, this subpar rating negatively affects our tourism program. Who will want to go here and ride our airplanes when the FAA says we do not have an ability to assure safety that follows world class standards?

Three, staying on this rating is costing Philippine Airlines money and that in turn, negatively affects our economy. PAL has explained in the past that the subpar rating affects PAL’s planned flight expansions. Because we are in Category 2 status, PAL is prohibited from increasing its flights to the US and from changing the type or number of aircraft used on these services.

PAL is to take delivery of six new Boeing 777-300ERs between 2009 and 2011. PAL cannot even use these new fuel efficient planes to fly its current routes to the US. The only route for these new planes is the US because PAL no longer flies to the Middle East and Europe.

PAL would like to fly to San Diego, Chicago and New York, where there are large expatriate Filipino communities and that won’t happen with our current rating. But PAL must still take delivery of and pay for the planes as provided for in its contract with Boeing.

On Jan. 24, 2008 Malacañang issued this press release: “Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday ordered the Department of Budget and Managaement (DBM) for the immediate release of some P110 million (US$2.66 million) for the upgrading of the Air Transportation Office (ATO). The President issued the order before leaving for Switzerland where she will be attending the World Economic Forum (WEF).

“Presidential Deputy Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo, in a statement, said the amount was meant ‘to fund and support the upgrading of the Air Transportation Office.’”

So, how come they are now saying, almost two years after, they can’t do anything about our Category 2 rating because there is no budget? Has Ate Glue become such a lame duck that even her own budget officials will ignore her orders to provide funds for this purpose? Or is the order for press release purposes only? Reports have it that our do-nothing government is going to request the FAA to defer again its scheduled review of the local aviation sector next month (originally scheduled for November 2008) to a yet undisclosed date.

Given all these kapalpakan, Joey Salceda is right about how his Lola is being badly served by her trusted lieutenants. And they have no shame for failing to deliver in three months as promised or even after over a year. Yet they stay in office as if lack of performance is the most normal thing.

Maybe the project to upgrade our international standing in aviation safety is not interesting enough for Ate Glue’s bureaucrats… if you know what I mean. If it were as juicy as the ZTE contract, baka mas mabilis pa sa alas kwatro!

hybridace101

September 4th, 2009, 07:23 AM

^^

How shameful! How can we expect an upgrading? The fact that there are deferments to the review should make you question if they are taking their application to be upgraded to Cat1 seriously. No wonder why PR is forced to defer delivery of 4 77Ws from their original schedule; it could imply we can be stuck in Cat2 until who knows when.

c6josh

September 4th, 2009, 08:19 AM

Cebu Pacific Air partners with Hong Kong Disneyland
(The Philippine Star) Updated September 04, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Thanks to a new partnership, Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) is the only Philippine carrier to partner with Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) for corporate events.

Now, business executives can fly to Hong Kong on special online packages that will give them the unique experience only Disneyland theme park resorts offer.

CEB VP for passenger sales Edwin Bautista said, “We want to make traveling to Hong Kong Disneyland affordable to Filipinos, thus allowing them to stretch their travel budget through our fun tour packages with HKDL online.”

“Coupled with CEB’s trademark low fare, they can stay at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel or the Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, and benefit from their dynamic corporate packages. At the same time, they get the chance to unwind and have fun at the HKDL theme park,” he added.

Cebu Pacific currently offers companies an overnight package at the Disneyland Hollywood Hotel; a three-day, two-night package with an optional tour of the HKDL; and a four-day, three-night package with overnight stay at the Disney Hollywood Hotel, plus a full-day tour of HKDL as well as other optional tours.

With the Fun Tours packages, a person only needs to spend approximately P15,000, for example, for a round-trip Cebu Pacific Manila-Hong Kong ticket, three-night hotel accommodation, and a one-day HKDL tour.

HKDL VP for sales and travel trade marketing Aliana Ho considers the Philippines as their most important Asian market after greater China, especially because majority of Filipinos travel for pleasure to Hong Kong.

“Hong Kong Disneyland is popular among Filipinos. They associate it with fun, innovation, creativity, and entertainment. Also, HKDL is a good 15-minute land travel from the Hong Kong International Airport and 1.5 hours away from the city proper,” said Ho.

Since Cebu Pacific started flying to Hong Kong in November 2001, the low-fare leader has increased its flight frequency from once to four times daily between Manila and Hong Kong.

It also flies once daily between Cebu and Hong Kong and six times daily between Clark and Hong Kong, while servicing 13 other Asian destinations.

The lowest year-round fare to Hong Kong is P2,299, exclusive of government tax. For the latest promo seat sales and news on Cebu Pacific, check out www.cebupacificair.com.

For group bookings (20 people or more), call (02) 290-5241 or e-mail groupbookings@cebupacificair.com.

HK Disneyland Fun Tours packages are also available on the Cebu Pacific website.

c6josh

September 4th, 2009, 08:30 AM

OFWs to benefit from AirAsia flight to Abu Dhabi
By Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star) Updated September 04, 2009 12:00 AM

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A cheaper passage to the Middle East is now open to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with a Malaysia-based budget airline opening direct Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi flight five times a week starting this November.

Azran Osman-Rani, chief executive officer of budget airline AirAsia X, the long-haul flight unit of Asian budget airline AirAsia, announced recently their online promotional offer of a number of seats through their website airasia.com, at a low, all-inclusive 99 Malaysian ringgits or 99 dirhams, equivalent to about P1,440, for one-way travel between Nov. 23 and July 31, 2010.

Osman-Rani said they are very optimistic about the new route, expecting it to boost tourism between Abu Dhabi and its neighboring emirates in the UAE and Southeast Asia.

“We are ecstatic with our first long-haul route into the Middle East from Kuala Lumpur. This clearly indicates that our expansion plans are on track which represent our determination in providing truly low fare on our long-haul, low-fare services across the globe,” Osman-Rani said in ceremonies to formally launch the online sales of the Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi seats at the Shangri-La Hotel in Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi last Aug. 19.

Rani explained that the R99/AED99 offer was an introductory offer for about 10 percent of the seats during the concerned travel period.

He gave assurance that the seats for sale beyond the introductory promo will be 40 to 60 percent lower than those in the market.

“It is a promo price which we will keep revisiting similar to what we do with our other flights during our frequent promo sales,” he said.

Kathleen Tan, AirAsia group regional head for commercial, said the Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi route will be a big benefit for OFWs working in the Middle East, especially those bound for or working already in the UAE, especially in the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, and even in neighboring states such as Bahrain and Kuwait.

“With our low fare, they can go home to the Philippines or send for their families to visit them more often because air travel will be more affordable,” Tan told The STAR.

AirAsia operates a daily flight to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga.

Filipinos are second to Indians in terms of expatriate population working in the UAE, where 80 percent of the population comprises expatriate workers.

According to Dubai and Abu Dhabi-based OFWs, the usual fare going to the UAE costs from 2,400 to 3,000 dirhams (a dirham is worth P13.25 to P13.50).

The Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi route is the latest addition to AirAsia X’s long-haul flights operating out of Kuala Lumpur’s low-cost carrier terminal.

AirAsia X also flies to Gold Coast, Perth and Melbourne in Australia; Hangzhou and Tianjin in China; Taipei, London, and now, Abu Dhabi.

The opening of the Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi flight was made possible with the support of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), which both expect the new route to boost tourism in the emirate.

Ahmed Al Haddabi, ADAC senior vice president for airport operations, said the AirAsia X flight from Kuala Lumpur could help them attain their goal of doubling the two million tourists they had in 2008 by 2015.

c6josh

September 4th, 2009, 07:07 PM

PAL offers discounted tickets for INC members

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/04/2009 6:31 PM

MANILA - Flag carrier Philippine Airlines is offering special discounted tickets to members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) abroad who wish to travel back to the country to pay their last respects to the late INC leader Erano “Ka Erdie” Manalo.

"Upon instructions of our Chairman Dr. Lucio Tan, PAL is offering special discounted ticket prices to INC members who may wish to come home,” said PAL President Jaime Bautista.

In a press statement, PAL said the move is to show the flag carrier’s “goodwill gesture”.

“This is PAL's modest way of showing respect and camaraderie with millions of INC members worldwide who are mourning Ka Erdie's passing," Bautista added.

Manalo, the INC's second executive minister, died of cardiopulmonary arrest on Monday at 3:53 pm. He was 84.

Eraño is the son of Felix Manalo, founder and first executive minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo. Manalo took over the administration of the church after his father's death in 1963. He was instrumental in the expansion of the church internationally.

PAL’s special “all-in” round-trip economy fares, excluding government taxes, for INC passengers are as follows: Ex-US, USD 699; Ex-Australia, AUD 799; Ex-Hong Kong, HKD 1,099; Ex-Macau, MOP 1,099; Ex-Singapore, SGD 399; Ex-Guam, USD 299; Ex-Bangkok, THB 7,999; Ex-Japan, PY 49,999; and Ex-Taipei, TWD 4,999.

Sales, ticketing and travel are valid from September 2 to 9, 2009. Other fare conditions include a minimum of three days and a maximum of 14 days for US and Australia; a minimum of three days and maximum of 8 days for regional flights.

Additional information and ticket sales are found on the PAL website, PAL Ticket offices and selected travel agents.
as of 09/04/2009 6:31 PM

Blueleo

September 4th, 2009, 07:28 PM

International air passenger traffic falls during first half, govt says
09/03/2009 | 01:11 PM BusinessWorld

The number of passengers on international flights who passed through the country’s airports dipped just slightly in the first half from the same period last year, despite the feared double impact of the global economic slump and the pandemic scare, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) said on Tuesday.

CAB data show that total international passenger traffic dipped 0.48 percent to 6.26 million in the first six months from 6.29 million in the same period last year, though still higher than 2007 level of 5.76 million.

Incoming passengers totaled 3.25 million, 0.6 percent less than last year’s 3.27 million, accounting for a little more than half the total international passenger traffic flow.

Outgoing passengers, on the other hand, went down 0.33 percent to 3.01 million from 3.02 million in the same comparative periods.

"Decline in international passenger traffic was better than expected despite forecasts that overseas travel will be impacted [sic] by the global crisis and the A(H1N1) virus scare[but] the second wave of A(H1N1) remains a threat to airlines’ international operations...in the second half of this year," CAB deputy executive director Porvenir P. Porciuncula said in a phone interview.

The International Air Transport Association said international passenger traffic in June fell 7.2 percent year-on-year, amid a bleak outlook for the rest of the year.

The group saw the biggest decline in Asia Pacific, where the drop was 14.5 percent in June.

Philippine Airlines (PAL), which topped the passenger traffic of 32 other carriers on CAB’s list, accounting for more than a sixth of the total, saw its traffic dipping 9 percent year on year to 1.74 million in the first half.

PAL officials were not immediately available for comment.

Cebu Pacific Air, which came in second, saw its traffic rising 18.7 percent to 797,523 passengers from 671,738.

Candice A. Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice-president for marketing and distribution, said in a phone interview that the growth can be attributed to low fares and more aircrafts.

She said customers who took advantage of the carrier’s "Go Lite" fares, which offer low all-in rates for passengers without check-in baggage starting mid-last year, accounted for 15 percent-20 percent of its total.

She clarified, however, that the rise in international passengers of almost a fifth did not contribute significantly in the carrier’s revenues because the average ticket price is lower by a tenth.

The rest of the top 10 carriers on CAB’s list were: Cathay Pacific Airways, down 0.8 percent to 735,817; Singapore Airlines, down 5.2 percent to 272,008; Asiana Airlines, up 74.89 percent to 252,273; Northwest Airlines, down 11.54 percent to 233,870; Emirates Air, up 4.15 percent to 226,800; Japan Airlines, down 3.08 percent to 215,746; Qatar Airways, up 19.98 percent to 212,798; and Korean Air, down 13.67 percent to 196,507. - J. F. de Guzman

Fraulein

September 5th, 2009, 03:05 AM

Coming Soon!
Turkish Airlines spreads its wings in Asia

Turkish Airlines intends to double its frequency in Asia within the next two years, starting with Tokyo Narita, from four weekly flights to daily operations to Bangkok, which will include an equipment upgrade to 2 daily flights, 3 days a week in December 2009, with 4 flights extensions probably to Saigon, while the additional 3 flights are intended as flight extensions either to Manila or Guangzhou, depending on the services agreement that will be discussed later between the Philippines.

With today’s flight to Jakarta as an extension of the flights to Singapore, Turkish Airlines is stepping up it’s efforts to fly to more Asian destinations. This is an attempt to bolster load factors on that under-performing sector, especially by attracting Muslim religious traffic from Indonesia, which may wish to transit via Istanbul.

There are some bilateral trade discussions also under way, including a code sharing agreement between PT Garuda Indonesia and Turkish Airlines.

Turkish Airlines (THY) is lining up and waiting for the approval of the Air Service Agreement between Turkey and the Philippines this year, as it announces plans to introduce new destinations in the far east.

The airline is also planning to double the flights on its non-stop Bangkok-Istanbul route to 14 per week this December and introduce regular flights to Manila and Ho Chi Minh City, initially via Bangkok, in 2011.

Turkish Airlines is currently in discussions with Thai Airways International to establish a code-share agreement enabling the carriers to expand network coverage through Bangkok.

Turkish Airlines wants to build up Bangkok as a primary hub for Asia in a way that would develop the network capabilities of the Thai and THY, using their respective hubs in Bangkok and Istanbul to boost the joint market share with Thai on the Australia-Turkey route, among others. Ho Chi Minh City and Manila, as well as southern Chinese cities such as Guangzhou, are to be the target cities.

In the 12-month period from July 2008 to June this year, 56,987 passengers had flown between Australia and Turkey. Of the total, Singapore Airlines had a market share of 31 percent and Emirates 28 percent. The combined share of Turkish/THAI was a meager 3 percent. Istanbul, a city at the legendary crossroads of the silkroad for Europe and Asia, is a natural transit point for travelers between Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and now Asia-Pacific and Australia.

With Hong Kong declining to grant it an increase in capacity, the airline is planning to double its flights from daily to twice-daily to Bangkok in December. That huge capacity increase is a major reason why it needs to develop feeder traffic from across Asia-Pacific.

Since 2003, THY transit traffic has been the highest growth segment, up 230 percent from 470,200 passengers to 1,553,000 in 2008. The airline claims that in the same period, its annual passenger numbers have more than doubled from 10.4 million to 22.5 million, the number of destinations have grown from 104 to 155, and the number of aircraft have grown from 65 to 132.

In 2009, the target is 26.7 million passengers, including 14 million international passengers and more than 2 million transit passengers. New destinations expected by the end of this year include Ufa, Meshad, Dhakar, Nairobi, Sao Paulo, Benghazi, Goteborg, Lviv, Toronto, and Jakarta.

The airline, which is Europe’s fourth-biggest airline in terms of passengers carried, is expanding its fleet, especially long-haul, wide-body aircraft, and aims to increase its European market share by one-fifth to 10 percent next year. It is aggressively pursuing the transit passenger traffic by transforming Istanbul to become a major hub between Europe and Asia in competition with gulf-based carriers.

At present, Turkish Airlines serves points in Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, and lately Jakarta. It plans to resume service to Kuala Lumpur together with new services to China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. It also has plans to make Bangkok its Asian hub for flights to Australia by 2011.

Turkish currently flies to 119 international destinations, 18 in Asia, plus 36 cities in Turkey.

The delivery of 19 new aircraft, including seven Airbus A330s and seven Boeing B777s, worth more than US$2.5 billion, during 2011 to 2012, is central to the carrier’s international and Asian expansion. It currently has a fleet of 132 aircraft, 49 of which are deployed on long-haul flights.

Turkish is on course to carry 26.7 million passengers this year, with plans to increase volume to 40 million by 2012.

The carrier is one of the global airline industry’s success stories.

While most other airlines face severe contractions, Turkish was recently ranked the fourth best-performing airline of the year by AviationWeek. It posted 9 percent growth in passenger traffic in the first half of this year, with distance flown rising by 17 percent and seat capacity up 28 percent.

The airline, listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange, saw its passenger volumes rise steadily from 11.99 million in 2004 to 22.53 million in 2008.

Net profit soared from US$75 million in 2004 to US$204 million in 2007 before leaping to US$874 million last year.

The airline targets revenue of US$6 billion in 2011 and US$8 billion in 2012, spurred largely by the sharp increase in aircraft capacity.

(Source: eturbonews.com)

Rodel

September 5th, 2009, 03:12 AM

hybridace101

September 5th, 2009, 03:29 AM

^^

I can't find it on the website. They probably have to go to a PR office and show proof of membership.

dashalvin

September 5th, 2009, 03:42 AM

May ID yata ang mga INC members.

ivanc

September 5th, 2009, 03:52 AM

nope walang ID sa INC....

i think what one can do is to go to your church locale/district and you can ask for a "pa-totoo" or letter of proof confirming your membership...

thescene

September 5th, 2009, 06:36 AM

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,23483,26024901-5009000,00.html?from=public_rss

QANTAS will retire the troubled jumbo jet involved in a mid-air explosion last year and an engine shutdown that forced the pilot to divert to Perth on Wednesday.

The airline says the 18-year-old Boeing 747 will be paid off from commercial service in November along with four other ageing jumbos as part of the carrier's fleet replacement program, reports The Advertiser.

They will be replaced by brand new A380 super jumbos that will enter service on the Melbourne-Los Angeles and Sydney-London routes the following month.

A Qantas spokeswoman claimed the looming retirement of the plane, which stranded passengers branded as jinxed after the two incidents, has nothing to do with the two mid-air incidents during the past year.

She said the airliner had been schedule to retire before Wednesday's mid-air fuel leak that forced the pilot of the London-Sydney flight to divert to Perth and land on three engines.

The 747 City of Newcastle - registered VH-OJK - got its complement of 290 passengers to Sydney four hours late after engineers in Perth fixed a leaking fuel filter.

The City of Newcastle, which entered service with Qantas in May 1991, was involved in a major and unrelated mid-air drama in late July last year.

On that occasion an oxygen cylinder exploded in the cargo bay blowing a large hole in the fuselage, causing the cabin to depressurise as the crew dived to a safe altitude of 10,000ft.

The City of Newcastle rolled off the production line at Boeing's

assembly plant outside Seattle in May 1991. Qantas engineers and Boeing technicians rebuilt a large section of the fuselage after the Manila incident to avoid the airline's safety record being tarnished by writing off a jet.

dc88

September 5th, 2009, 06:37 AM

is there a PAL airbus?

dashalvin

September 5th, 2009, 06:53 AM

There are. A319s, A320s, A330s and A340s.

Sky Harbor

September 5th, 2009, 08:34 AM

^^ I think he meant if PAL had A380s. No, PAL does not have A380s.

ianers_ianized

September 5th, 2009, 08:58 AM

Ito sana ang plano ng Airphils...:ancient::baaa::soon:

Air Philippines to acquire six new aircraft for $120M
By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
Monday, January 21, 2008 The Philippine Star

Budget domestic carrier Air Philippines plans to acquire six new aircraft totaling at least $120 million during the fourth quarter of 2008 as part of its modernization and expansion program.
It was learned that the company, owned by taipan Lucio Tan who also controls Philippine Airlines (PAL), will be purchasing initially six Q400s, which are 76-seater planes and sister ship to the Q300s currently being used by Air Philippines.
The acquisition will be financed either through operating lease, finance lease, or export credit, officials revealed.
During the January to December 2007 period, Air Philippines carried a total of one million domestic passengers as compared to PAL’s four million passengers from the latter’s domestic operations alone.
Air Philippines has started flying to Caticlan last Dec. 15 and there are plans to increase the number of flights from four to 12 flights a day utilizing three aircrafts.
The company has just acquired six Bombardier Q300 turbo-prop aircraft amounting to $56 million to serve its expanded route network, including its new Caticlan service, gateway to the island of Boracay.
Air Philippines middle of last year signed a firm order with Toronto-based Bombardier Aerospace for three of the 50-seat airliners and taken options on three more units.
The first Q300, delivered in November 2007, started the Manila-Caticlan run of the airline, which is known for its tourist-friendly ultra-low fares.
Deliveries of the other two firm orders will be in the first quarter of 2008, while the option aircraft, should Air Philippines exercise its rights, are due after 2008.
Air Philippines currently operates eight Boeing 737-200 jet aircraft serving a network of 12 points in the Philippines from hubs in Manila and Cebu. It also operates regular charter flights to points in Korea.
It will be phasing out its Boeing 737-200s and have its future fleet comprising Airbus A320s, newer 737 ‘Classics’ and Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s in addition to Q300s.

Air Philippines’ push into turboprops means it will be competing against Asian Spirit and Seair which operate older turboprops. :omg::old:

Sna nga mgkatotoo 'to... 2P have to bounceback in the limelight of aviation industry again...

Coming Soon!
Turkish Airlines spreads its wings in Asia

Turkish Airlines intends to double its frequency in Asia within the next two years, starting with Tokyo Narita, from four weekly flights to daily operations to Bangkok, which will include an equipment upgrade to 2 daily flights, 3 days a week in December 2009, with 4 flights extensions probably to Saigon, while the additional 3 flights are intended as flight extensions either to Manila or Guangzhou, depending on the services agreement that will be discussed later between the Philippines.

With today’s flight to Jakarta as an extension of the flights to Singapore, Turkish Airlines is stepping up it’s efforts to fly to more Asian destinations. This is an attempt to bolster load factors on that under-performing sector, especially by attracting Muslim religious traffic from Indonesia, which may wish to transit via Istanbul.

There are some bilateral trade discussions also under way, including a code sharing agreement between PT Garuda Indonesia and Turkish Airlines.

Turkish Airlines (THY) is lining up and waiting for the approval of the Air Service Agreement between Turkey and the Philippines this year, as it announces plans to introduce new destinations in the far east.

The airline is also planning to double the flights on its non-stop Bangkok-Istanbul route to 14 per week this December and introduce regular flights to Manila and Ho Chi Minh City, initially via Bangkok, in 2011.

Turkish Airlines is currently in discussions with Thai Airways International to establish a code-share agreement enabling the carriers to expand network coverage through Bangkok.

Turkish Airlines wants to build up Bangkok as a primary hub for Asia in a way that would develop the network capabilities of the Thai and THY, using their respective hubs in Bangkok and Istanbul to boost the joint market share with Thai on the Australia-Turkey route, among others. Ho Chi Minh City and Manila, as well as southern Chinese cities such as Guangzhou, are to be the target cities.

(Source: eturbonews.com)

I'm excited on who will be its ground handling agent, i hope ours... I am also happy that NAIA is getting a lot of feed from from foreign carriers.

Gulf Coast

September 5th, 2009, 09:39 AM

^^ As I said earlier, yes, all PAL aircraft, from the oldest 747 to the youngest A320, have pre-recorded announcements. I can confirm this for the A320, A330 and 747, while there's YouTube videos for the A340 and the A319.

Just a correction:

Not all 320's have pre recorded announcements. RPC-3230 for example has none but has the Safety Video:) not sure if 3227 and 3228 got an upgrade:)

wise_zech

September 5th, 2009, 09:46 AM

sana makabili rin tayo nang A380...

Sky Harbor

September 5th, 2009, 10:11 AM

Just a correction:

Not all 320's have pre recorded announcements. RPC-3230 for example has none but has the Safety Video:) not sure if 3227 and 3228 got an upgrade:)

RP-C3227, which I flew to Manila from Iloilo, has pre-recorded announcements. I even have the picture of the IFE system which proves it. I'll post it in my next TR. :D

Gulf Coast

September 5th, 2009, 10:33 AM

RP-C3227, which I flew to Manila from Iloilo, has pre-recorded announcements. I even have the picture of the IFE system which proves it. I'll post it in my next TR. :D

hey buddy! no need:) anyway im not sure about 3227 and 8:) 3230 for a fact has none:) but it can play the safety video:)

Blueleo

September 5th, 2009, 10:45 AM

Memorabilia :old::hm::omg:
Air Phils flyer
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu101/blueleo101/scan0002.jpg
Plane ticket jacket
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu101/blueleo101/scan0001-2.jpg

Rolls-Royce

September 5th, 2009, 01:08 PM

hybridace101

September 5th, 2009, 05:12 PM

sana makabili rin tayo nang A380...

I doubt it, with PR ruling out going back to the European Community in the and Cat2 unlikely to be lifted soon.

hybridace101

September 5th, 2009, 05:14 PM

hey buddy! no need:) anyway im not sure about 3227 and 8:) 3230 for a fact has none:) but it can play the safety video:)

With regards to the safety video, I think only the N754 (a 747-400 of PR) doesn't have it which means FAs have to perform the safety demonstration live. Probably because the TV audio does not work cabin-wide.

dashalvin

September 5th, 2009, 06:20 PM

I doubt it, with PR ruling out going back to the European Community in the and Cat2 unlikely to be lifted soon.

Ang 5J parang may plan yata na bumili ng A380 for US route pero wala pang mga press updates.

hybridace101

September 5th, 2009, 06:44 PM

Ang 5J parang may plan yata na bumili ng A380 for US route pero wala pang mga press updates.

Hmmm... they backed-out of their A330s or at least rumours on it weren't true so how much more with the A380? We'll have to wait and see. National airlines can't talk about getting new aircrafts to the US because Cat2 forbids that.

hybridace101

September 6th, 2009, 07:00 PM

It's ironic that MNL/CEB-NRT is the only intra-Asia route that lasts more than 2 hours where a widebody is consistently used for a particular flight. All other guaranteed widebody services within the region last less than 2 hours.

Also, I thought PR is cutting routes. Why is it that LAX will see an increase to 9 flights/week starting the Christmas season 2009? Here's the timetable: http://www.philippineairlines.com/Images/International_Winter_04Sep09_tcm61-13095.pdf . I don't get their plans.

Sky Harbor

September 6th, 2009, 07:17 PM

^^ MNL-KIX and MNL-NGO also see A330/A340 service, so Tokyo there isn't alone. There is huge demand for these flights both from the Philippine and Japanese ends, so widebodies are used.

Speaking of routes, PAL is currently cutting because it's low season. It will be increasing flights again to anticipate the high Christmastime demand to go back to the Philippines from North America (and back), and it will upgauge regional flights if demand so requires. It's always been like that.

hybridace101

September 6th, 2009, 07:40 PM

^^
PR112/113 has been around for 6 straight years. I thought they were route-cutting (internationally at least) because of the global recession. Although during Christmas time, PR can spike flights upto 10 times/week to LAX and PR114/115 which serves MNL-SFO won't be around anymore unlike last seasons.

Also, MNL-KIX uses an A320 for its flights hence it is unclear which day they use an A330. As you can see in the timetable, MNL-KIX and MNL-NGO have EQV listed which means there is a good chance they can use an A320. If ever there will be an advantage of Cat2 staying, it will be that the 77Ws due for delivery soon will likely be deployed to SYD/MEL, the 2nd farthest route in PR's network and the farthest without restrictions. This means that the A330s can be relieved of their medium-long haul duties and be utilised more for relatively shorter but more frequent, revenue generating regional destinations like SIN, PEK, PVG and ICN.

Sky Harbor

September 6th, 2009, 08:25 PM

^^ Arianespace already mentioned (and I'm mentioning it again) that because of Cat II, the 77Ws will be deployed first to Australia.

Despite the EQV listing, MNL-KIX and MNL-NGO are wide-bodied (they switch between A330s and A340s). Out of all the Japan routes, the one that sees the most A320s is FUK (the market with the least demand). Other than FUK, Japan is one of the largest PAL markets, hence the use of widebodies on Japan flights.

Blueleo

September 6th, 2009, 08:42 PM

Who has pics of aerolift airlines serving domestic routes long time ago ? ... i remember seeing these small planes at the airport together with my father. :lol: :bash: :cheers:

Sky Harbor

September 6th, 2009, 09:33 PM

pi_malejana

September 6th, 2009, 11:59 PM

^^ hehe another great TR as usual...:okay::D

post them sa int'l thread, ala pang MNL duon...:D

hybridace101

September 7th, 2009, 03:08 AM

Once again, here's a new trip report for everyone's perusal:

There's Some New Zests Shining Through: MNL-CEB-MNL on Zest Airways (formerly Asian Spirit) and Philippine Airlines (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/992263-theres-some-new-zests-shining-through-mnl-ceb-mnl-z2-formerly-6k-pr.html)

Yes, the grammatical error in the title's deliberate. Anyway, enjoy.

I'm a little surprised for an aircraft 5 months since refurbishment, the AVOD beaks down that they had to resort to a live demonstration. It has, is and always will be the sorry flight. Having said that, does 7475's IFE system usually break down for other flights or has anyone else experience it not working well? Someone told me they had to resort to a live demonstration again.

Sky Harbor

September 7th, 2009, 05:22 AM

^^ The AVOD didn't break down per se. It did freeze, and the reset did quite well to fix the problem.

hybridace101

September 7th, 2009, 05:59 AM

^^

They fixed it but there still wasn't any airshow or IFE. To give the flight the benefit of the doubt, the flight is frankly too short for 1 to explore the IFE potentials.

I recall I was on a DL (Song airlines) flight which featured live TV. Except that live TV wasn't working and it happened to be Song's last flight to land. The other local IFE features did work ok however.

Sky Harbor

September 7th, 2009, 06:05 AM

^^ Of course there wouldn't be an airshow since it took a while for the AVOD to reset. We were already approaching Manila when the AVOD flickered back to life. The crew was probably being cautious.

hybridace101

September 7th, 2009, 06:24 AM

Speaking of caution, what is the effect of attempting to use a radio on flight deck instruments? When I say radio, I mean the one that receives radio stations one listens to. Definitely, using a radio device that sends or transmits signals (like a walkie talkie or even a remote control for a toy car) is a big no-no.

hybridace101

September 7th, 2009, 05:46 PM

Am I reading it correctly that PR is looking towards A350s as suggested by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Airlines#Future_fleet?

Sky Harbor

September 7th, 2009, 06:00 PM

^^ It was posted here before that PAL was looking into A350s, possibly by 2012, to replace the A330s and A340s. It's either that or 787s.

hybridace101

September 7th, 2009, 06:15 PM

It won't make sense for 787s to replace the A330/A343 of PR. As for the A380, besides Cat2, PR's cash (or profitability) position as well as the capabilities of our airports will certainly have to be considered.

sonnyville

September 8th, 2009, 04:15 AM

The A343s and A330s in the PAL fleet won't be replaced anytime soon. They are the youngest medium/long-haul equipment and airframes in the PAL fleet compared to the aging 744s. The only thing PAL is expecting are the 777s orders that are due to arrive soon or in the near future. And these 777s are vital, but because of the economic downturn and the condition of the airline industries globally, PAL had some of the expected 777s deferred for later delivery dates.

What is most likely to happen is that the A343s and A330s will undergo D-checks and cabin reconfig. like the 744s.

If ever, in the near future or at a later time, PAL decides to replace it's A343 and A330s fleet, the best choice is to stick with additional 777s which PAL has options for when it made the orders for the 777s. It will probably be easier for PAL to make agreements with Boeing, since they have firm orders for these aircrafts or the leasing company that is leasing several of the 777s to PAL. The 777s will work just fine if the PAL A343s and A330s exit the fleet, it will also fill in the gap between the 744 replacement for the time being or rather compliment the 744s until a replacement is decided. The 777s can and are economically much more viable than that of the existing A343s in the fleet. I am sure that PAL is taking careful consideration and has no regrets in selecting the 777s. The 777s need only to maintain two engines compared to 4, which means that 777 is less costly to operate than that of the A343. It also performs similarly if not slightly better than the A343. They are about the same in size, in terms of passenger capacity and cargo load. And PAL has the 777-300s in order, which is almost a 744 passenger capacity-like aircraft. PAL will have no problem filling up the 777s on the following long-haul routes, it will be just excellent for them on the MNL-LAX, MNL-SFO, and MNL-YVR-LAS routes. And on the Medium routes, it's an excellent equipment for the MNL-CEB-NRT route. The 777 is very durable, in PAL's case, it is and will probably be the Med/Long-Haul workhorse of the fleet in the near future to come. More or less PAL will look like JAL's, SQ's, ANA etc. future fleet, mostly 777s in medium/long haul routes.

The 787 is by far a long shot from PAL's future fleet expansion or even in to consideration. It is still subject to delays in progress and I am sure PAL will wait for other airlines to see how well it performs before making orders. But I won't rule it out. If all goes well and it does perform well, or the A350 becomes a reality, these two might be possible choices to replace the A330s and A343s or to compliment an existing 777 PAL medium/long haul fleet. Like the 777s, the 787 also has long-haul, short range, and medium range variations, so PAL will closely watch other airlines who have placed firm orders on the 787s. Even with the delays of the 787, the 787 will be up in the air before the A350. And also, the 747-8, even if it's only the freighter version nearing completion at the moment, it will be up in the air soon also. PAL is studying the A380 if it is the right choice, it does not want to be in the place of Thai Airways, which has made several orders for the aircraft and is unable to utilize or even afford to pay it off at the moment. Thai has had to defer it's orders for the A380s or delay them. They are in a bad shape at the moment, as they are trying to replace an aging fleet of aircrafts, placing orders for several A380s that they can't afford, and they are still trying to get rid of the A345/A346 aircrafts that have proven to be too costly to maintain for them. And also SQ and Qantas has begun to defer their A380 orders as well despite their success with the A380s. So it's not so easy to decide at the moment if PAL should place orders for the A380s, it will probably take a longer time especially with airlines suffering so much. I see it as unpractical for PAL to order the A380, and so the 777s remain the excellent choice for the fleet and an airlines that is trying to recover from Bankruptcy years ago. In fact, I highly believe that PAL, which has experienced something unique, and has arisen from that situation, is a lot stronger than the other airlines. It will be more cautious and aware of it's choices. And that can clearly be seen with Lucio Tan's moves, if need be, removing a brother from the board.

Sky Harbor

September 8th, 2009, 04:43 AM

^^ TG already said that they will take delivery of the A380s when they are scheduled to be delivered, under threat of heavy fines which Airbus will impose upon them if they defer or cancel delivery.

If I'm not mistaken, the 77Ws are meant to be the long-term replacement for the 744s as they eventually exit the PAL fleet, at least until PAL gets another widebody type to replace the 744s. For commonality purposes and compatibility with existing airports, I'd be willing to support the 748. Unlike the A380, the 748 already guarantees compatibility with existing airports in the PAL network, including domestic stations such as CEB, DVO and GES, where widebodies are deployed on a regular basis. The A343, being a lesser-capacity aircraft, is supposed to be replaced by a ULH aircraft like the 788, 789 or A350. The A330, on the other hand, can be easily replaced with additional 77Ws.

Fraulein

September 8th, 2009, 04:43 AM

Our aircraft on our Manila-Cebu trip :)

http://images.jhulyus.multiply.com/image/1/photos/6/500x500/11/DSC-0023.JPG?et=%2BrhiQZ1%2C6VHAvdjEpz0hlg&nmid=280861865
At NAIA Centennial Terminal

http://images.jhulyus.multiply.com/image/1/photos/6/500x500/26/DSC-0060.JPG?et=tR7cCcfZqcpaT6B%2B8zBrtg&nmid=280861865

http://images.jhulyus.multiply.com/image/1/photos/6/500x500/27/DSC-0061.JPG?et=W1L5xv2GL%2BeK%2C4lkYCCUag&nmid=280861865

http://images.jhulyus.multiply.com/image/1/photos/6/500x500/36/DSC-0080.JPG?et=q%2BmHyUCUwvpreYhjNjqqNg&nmid=280861865
At Mactan-Cebu Airport

sonnyville

September 8th, 2009, 06:31 AM

^^ TG already said that they will take delivery of the A380s when they are scheduled to be delivered, under threat of heavy fines which Airbus will impose upon them if they defer or cancel delivery.

Sorry, failed to catch that one. But yes, quite a lot of sum of money if they did cancel or defer. They'd loose out more.

If I'm not mistaken, the 77Ws are meant to be the long-term replacement for the 744s as they eventually exit the PAL fleet, at least until PAL gets another widebody type to replace the 744s. For commonality purposes and compatibility with existing airports, I'd be willing to support the 748. Unlike the A380, the 748 already guarantees compatibility with existing airports in the PAL network, including domestic stations such as CEB, DVO and GES, where widebodies are deployed on a regular basis. The A343, being a lesser-capacity aircraft, is supposed to be replaced by a ULH aircraft like the 788, 789 or A350. The A330, on the other hand, can be easily replaced with additional 77Ws.

That makes perfect sense. The 748 flight deck is also similar with some slight enhancements to that of the 787 and 777, so it makes it less costly and more efficient to train possible existing operators of the 777 along with the upcoming 748. Flight deck simulators are quite expensive.

hybridace101

September 8th, 2009, 04:18 PM

Fraulein

September 8th, 2009, 04:26 PM

No idea po. ^^

Sky Harbor

September 8th, 2009, 04:43 PM

^^ Given from the interior, I can say it's not RP-C7475.

hybridace101

September 8th, 2009, 04:43 PM

Hmmm... I noticed the main monitors were blacked out. Was the airshow (live map) working even on the individual monitors?

sonnyville

September 8th, 2009, 05:03 PM

^^ love the pictures. thanks for sharing them with us.

a classic 744 in PAL colors, it's one of those... one of a kind looks. even the interior looks great. i like the tropical designs.

hikouki

September 8th, 2009, 06:20 PM

hikouki

September 8th, 2009, 06:27 PM

...
If ever, in the near future or at a later time, PAL decides to replace it's A343 and A330s fleet, the best choice is to stick with additional 777s which PAL has options for when it made the orders for the 777s. It will probably be easier for PAL to make agreements with Boeing, since they have firm orders for these aircrafts or the leasing company that is leasing several of the 777s to PAL. The 777s will work just fine if the PAL A343s and A330s exit the fleet, it will also fill in the gap between the 744 replacement for the time being or rather compliment the 744s until a replacement is decided. The 777s can and are economically much more viable than that of the existing A343s in the fleet. I am sure that PAL is taking careful consideration and has no regrets in selecting the 777s. The 777s need only to maintain two engines compared to 4, which means that 777 is less costly to operate than that of the A343. It also performs similarly if not slightly better than the A343. They are about the same in size, in terms of passenger capacity and cargo load. And PAL has the 777-300s in order, which is almost a 744 passenger capacity-like aircraft. PAL will have no problem filling up the 777s on the following long-haul routes, it will be just excellent for them on the MNL-LAX, MNL-SFO, and MNL-YVR-LAS routes. And on the Medium routes, it's an excellent equipment for the MNL-CEB-NRT route. The 777 is very durable, in PAL's case, it is and will probably be the Med/Long-Haul workhorse of the fleet in the near future to come. More or less PAL will look like JAL's, SQ's, ANA etc. future fleet, mostly 777s in medium/long haul routes.

...

Not as if PAL fell in love with the 77W and selected it over the A346! Keep in mind that PAL had deposits for 744s from the time of the shutdown. There was no way Boeing would give them a refund. To make matters worse, the 744 line was about to close. Boeing proposed the 77W and PAL agreed. I believe it was intially only two 77Ws for the deposits. Then two options were firmed, then two leases were added, making a total of six. No remaining options. I'm not discounting the 777 as it is one of my favorite planes. But they did not have that much of a *free* hand in deciding.

hikouki

September 8th, 2009, 06:30 PM

...

The 787 is by far a long shot from PAL's future fleet expansion or even in to consideration. It is still subject to delays in progress and I am sure PAL will wait for other airlines to see how well it performs before making orders. But I won't rule it out. If all goes well and it does perform well, or the A350 becomes a reality, these two might be possible choices to replace the A330s and A343s or to compliment an existing 777 PAL medium/long haul fleet. Like the 777s, the 787 also has long-haul, short range, and medium range variations, so PAL will closely watch other airlines who have placed firm orders on the 787s. Even with the delays of the 787, the 787 will be up in the air before the A350. ..

The 787 is designed as a 767/A300/A332 replacement/competitor. The A350 (the previous form) was also designed as such. However, the A350XWB (the current form), is designed as a 777/A340/A330 replacement.

boom_box

September 8th, 2009, 06:33 PM

hikouki

September 8th, 2009, 06:40 PM

... Thai has had to defer it's orders for the A380s or delay them. They are in a bad shape at the moment, as they are trying to replace an aging fleet of aircrafts, placing orders for several A380s that they can't afford, and they are still trying to get rid of the A345/A346 aircrafts that have proven to be too costly to maintain for them. And also SQ and Qantas has begun to defer their A380 orders as well despite their success with the A380s. ...

Even though the circumstances surrounding the order were shady, I think TG eventually did not regret the A346s. They are well-suited for some of their premium routes not requiring the capacity of the 744. In fact, they just took delivery of their last A346 at a time when they chose to defer their A330s (some) and A380s. It is their A345s which are problematic. These were withdrawn from the fleet some time back (but they still took delivery of that A346). But no one showed interest in the A345s as they are gas guzzlers.

I've been aboard the TG A345s and you will know instantly why they are so problematic for them. It seats only 100+ in economy which is often fully booked, necessitating involuntary upgrades to the half-booked 42 premium Y seats. These two sections make up the rear half of the plane. The front half is divided into two business sections with 30 seats each. Hence, the plane only carries 200+ seats with more than half premium passengers! They could not even fill one of the business sections. If the fully-booked SQ LeaderShip A345s didn't work even with their premium base, how much more TGs recipe?

But just a side note, the TG premium Y is worth every penny especially on the LA express!

hybridace101

September 8th, 2009, 06:55 PM

So once the overall fleet refurbishment/replacement is done, will we expect PR to be heading in an all-Airbus narrowbody (except PAL-express aircrafts) and an all-Boeing widebody? That seems odd if so as I feel it would be optimal to have all your aircraft from a single manufacturer.

Sky Harbor

September 8th, 2009, 07:09 PM

bandwidth limit exceeded pics... :ohno:

I have to wait until the 26th to clear that up. Apparently, PR trip reports are seeing increased demand at FlyerTalk.

Save for the first few pictures, the photo album at Photobucket has the pictures in the exact same order as that in the TR. Link below:

http://s573.photobucket.com/albums/ss171/akiestar/Cebu/

allan_dude

September 8th, 2009, 07:37 PM

P1.7-B int'l airport to rise in Cagayan this year

MANILA, Sept. 8 (PNA) -- State-run Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) and private consortium Cagayan Land Property Development Corp. (CLPDC) today signed a 50-year joint venture agreement to put up a P1.658-billion international airport in Lallo, Cagayan this year.

Under the joint venture agreement, CEZA will invest P691 million, or 41.7 percent of the total equity, while its private partner CLPDC will contribute the remaining P966 million, or 58.3 percent.

A joint venture company will also be created and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to manage the construction and operation of the international airport, which will cater to the locators, visitors and tourists in the bustling Freeport and economic zone.

CEZA is a government-owned and -controlled corporation that develops and manages the 54,000-hectare Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZFP), an economic and tourism hub in the coastal town of Sta. Ana in Cagayan province.

CLPDC, on the other hand, is composed of CAMJ Construction, Inc., LR Land Developers, Inc., TCGI Engineers, and Spanish firm Asesores y Consultores Aeronauticos S.L.

The Spanish firm will be tapped to manage the operations of the airport, once construction is finished.

CEZA Administrator and chief executive Jose Mari Ponce and CLPDC president Basilio Rodriguez signed the joint venture.

Construction of the project is expected to start within the month and expected to be completed in a year.

“Once completed, the CEZA International Airport will complement the Port Irene Seaport, which is emerging as an international transhipment hub and tourism destination in north-eastern part of Luzon,” Ponce said.

The project involves the construction of a 2,200-meter runway, with a width of 45 meters, following the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization. It will be designed to accommodate large aircraft such as Airbus A319-100, which has a typical seating capacity of 134 passengers.

It will also include a terminal building covering a floor area of 1,000 square meters, paved apron and tarmac that can accommodate two aircraft simultaneously, and a control tower.

"An international airport with international facilities and equipment is necessary to make CSEZFP a viable Freeport and tourism destination in Asia," Ponce said.

Data from the Air Transportation Office show that there were 2,359 international visitor arrivals in Cagayan via the Tuguegaro City Airport from Macau and China alone in 2008. Chartered flights bring tourists to CSEZFP via Tuguegarao.

Cagayan Valley ranked as the 7th top regional destination for tourists in the country. In 2008, it generated PhP1.6 billion in tourism receipts from the arrivals of 670,000 visitors, including 32,000 foreign tourists.

Visitor arrivals in 2008 were up by 7.5 percent from around 623,000 tourists in 2007. In particular, the volume of foreign tourists rose by over 20 percent to 32,000 from only 26,000 a year earlier, as CEZA’s marketing campaign paid off.

Ponce cited the need to construct the airport in the vicinity of Barangay San Mariano and Dagupan in Lallo to provide faster connection to the rapidly growing economic hub from the rest of the country and the world.

Cagayan Freeport is at least 12 hours away from Manila by land travel. While it is accessible by air through a domestic flight to Tugueguarao City, the Freeport is still four hours away from the capital of Cagayan province.

CSEZFP is emerging as a major economic, tourism and Internet gaming hub in the Philippines. Employment in the Freeport almost doubled from 3,000 jobs in 2007 to 5,800 in 2008.

The National Economic and Development Authority has acknowledged the contribution of the Freeport to the growth in tourism in Cagayan Valley Region. It said the construction of new business establishments such as hotels and casinos at the Cagayan special economic zone generated jobs for the people of Cagayan and increased foreign and domestic visitor arrivals.

In 2008, CEZA posted a net income of P230 million, becoming a highly profitable government-owned company, despite the impact of the global financial crisis on the domestic economy. It marked the fourth consecutive year that CEZA operated with a net profit.

As an investment hub, CSEZFP has become the preferred site of 86 foreign and domestic investors, of which 48 were already operational as of December 2008. These companies have committed to invest more than P13 billion. (PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=3&rid=228470

Nostalgic Isko

September 9th, 2009, 05:06 AM

Once again, here's a new trip report for everyone's perusal:

There's Some New Zests Shining Through: MNL-CEB-MNL on Zest Airways (formerly Asian Spirit) and Philippine Airlines (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/992263-theres-some-new-zests-shining-through-mnl-ceb-mnl-z2-formerly-6k-pr.html)

Yes, the grammatical error in the title's deliberate. Anyway, enjoy.

Hello Sky Harbor. Is it just my computer or the photos on your latest TR don't really load? It says "bandwidth limit exceeded." What can I do? :)

[edit] Oops! I guess you've answered it already. Thanks anyway.

Sky Harbor

September 9th, 2009, 05:07 AM

Wind Shear

September 9th, 2009, 09:15 AM

^^ I posted above that the album is available on Photobucket, with the pictures in roughly the same order as they are in the TR. The pictures will not load until the 26th since apparently, I exceeded the 10 GB bandwidth limit (viewing limit) for pictures.

This means that I have to wait until after the 26th just to upload the next TR. :cry:

How about hosting to another image server? Just a thought.... :D I enjoyed reading your TR in MNL-CEB-NRT for PR 4xx something... I forgot the flight number.

jef_xavier

September 9th, 2009, 11:01 AM

I have a question, i was looking at Zest Air's flight sked and it was annotated in there that MNL-WNP flights will only be up until Oct. 11, 2009. Does this mean that the airline is pulling out of WNP?

arianespace

September 9th, 2009, 03:32 PM

^^
P1.7-B int'l airport to rise in Cagayan this year

10 years in the making with 2 denials from foreign lenders and the Sta Ana airport is still nowhere in sight. Bottom-line, it cant even fill Tuguegarao like what Tagbilaran is experiencing right now yet these guys still have the gull to proclaimed they needed one and a billion at that! What a brilliant idea. They probably got it in Korea because a lot of Koreans are visiting the place.

Remember, these are the same kind of people that proclaimed San Fernando airport needs a big one because the jets are coming. Oh yeah, GMA's jet did come there and couple of GA's but that's it for a 535 million airport. I guess our airlines and that of our neighbors never knew they existed 6 months after it opens other than the very happy flying school.

And yes, Sta Ana is famous for one name. JPE other than the infamous tax-free luxury car importations. Now see where the connections lead to!
Perhaps they need it for importation of tax-free second hand jets, and yes ecozone will tell you its for export but flown in Philippine skies.:lol:

VERY GOOD THINKING!

hybridace101

September 9th, 2009, 04:39 PM

Here's one edge PR has: if reconfiguration goes as planned, the 744s owned by PR have AVOD, something that most other carriers like TG, LH, UA, KL and NW do not.

arianespace

September 9th, 2009, 04:53 PM

^^Not as if PAL fell in love with the 77W and selected it over the A346! Keep in mind that PAL had deposits for 744s from the time of the shutdown. There was no way Boeing would give them a refund. To make matters worse, the 744 line was about to close. Boeing proposed the 77W and PAL agreed. I believe it was intially only two 77Ws for the deposits. Then two options were firmed, then two leases were added, making a total of six. No remaining options. I'm not discounting the 777 as it is one of my favorite planes. But they did not have that much of a *free* hand in deciding.

Very well said. There was No love lost for Boeing after 1998.

I have nothing to add except that it was not Boeing that offered the triple seven. In fact they wanted the 3 remaining 744 taken. It took 2 negotiations before PAL decided to get the 777 instead which Boeing reluctantly agree after they take four frames with the latter 2 as options.

Sky Harbor

September 9th, 2009, 05:14 PM

While I was reading an A.Net thread on airlines' shortest flights, I was led onto the Wikipedia article about non-stop flights. Apparently, MNL-AMS is KLM's longest non-stop route. :D

It also surprises me that MNL-AMS is only 17 miles farther than PAL's most distant non-stop route, YVR-MNL.

hybridace101

September 9th, 2009, 05:14 PM

I'm so excited for the 77W coming November although there was no mention yet of flights using it now that the winter schedule has been released. I hope that does not imply there will be a delay. It has been like a dozen years since PR received a fresh brand new widebody. Although I would have preferred Airbus so they would be uniform and consistent with what their narrow bodies have. I'm still wondering who things PR is heading towards narrow bodies completely comprised of Airbus (except for PAL Express) and a wide bodies almost entirely made-up of Boeing aircraft?

I hope they unveil the interiors of the 77Ws pretty soon.

@Sky Harbor: Nice facts you dug-up. Although I'm not surprised at the findings, take note that BA has SIN-LHR as one of its longest flights. I'm actually surprised CX did not publish their findings although I'm guessing its either JFK or YYZ to HKG that should qualify. It's also important to note that this was probably in terms of flying time as using great circle distances, LAX and SFO are probably farther from MNL than YVR. Moreover, we need to consider the origin and the destination in that order (i.e. MNL to YVR is shorter than YVR to MNL and MNL to LAX). Going back to the KL findings, imagine if Iberia would have flights from MNL to MAD. What's even funnier: despite AMS being slightly farther from MNL than YVR, it is much shorter and this is even considering a YVR-MNL flight is over water which should ideally make the journey faster.

Sky Harbor

September 9th, 2009, 05:21 PM

^^ I'm not inclined to believe PAL will go all-Boeing for its widebodies. A motley of Airbuses and Boeings, like the current arrangement, works just fine.

The 77Ws will have the same Recaro seats as the 744s.

hybridace101

September 9th, 2009, 05:26 PM

^^

I just hope they won't have a 3-4-3 just like EK. It frankly made me a bit uncomfortable when I took EK especially since flights between MNL and DXB are always full.

Crazy4Airplanes

September 9th, 2009, 05:32 PM

hikouki

September 9th, 2009, 05:35 PM

hikouki

September 9th, 2009, 05:38 PM

Just an update. Today, me and my family took the 630am flight of Cathay Pacific today to Hong Kong. Since we had to be at the Airport 3 hours before, we didn't have time to have breakfast and we didn't bother buying at the snack bar in the airport because they sell yucky food at ridiculous prices. We just decided that we will have to settle for the meal service on board the plane. Immagine our surprise when we were served sandwiches instead of the usual full meal service. Siguro even Airlines as big as Cathay Pacific is cutting costs even to the point of removing full meal service to their short flights. Haaayy.. kakaawa talaga ang mga airines these days. So we just had to eat at the Hong Kong Airport nalang when we arrived. Hehehehehe.

I haven't flown CX in ages. The last time I flew them was the month after SARS!:nuts: In those days, they were cutting costs too and they served sandwiches wrapped in foil and filled with spam between MNL and HKG. Hindi man lang naka-tray. Napkin lang ang kasama!:lol:

hikouki

September 9th, 2009, 05:40 PM

^^

I just hope they won't have a 3-4-3 just like EK. It frankly made me a bit uncomfortable when I took EK especially since flights between MNL and DXB are always full.

Some PAL insiders said on the other forum mentioned that the cabin blueprint they saw has a 3-3-3 config. It will have 380-something seats which isn't the high-density config.

hybridace101

September 9th, 2009, 05:41 PM

^^

It has been more than 10 years since last flying with CX. What I personally don't like about their service is that they only serve you 1 choice of meal (at least in coach). For instance, you can't pick whether you want to take chicken or fish.

A combination of high oil prices, a global recession and an H1N1 pandemic is close to the worst airlines can experience.

mwg12a

September 10th, 2009, 01:23 AM

Just an update. Today, me and my family took the 630am flight of Cathay Pacific today to Hong Kong. Since we had to be at the Airport 3 hours before, we didn't have time to have breakfast and we didn't bother buying at the snack bar in the airport because they sell yucky food at ridiculous prices. We just decided that we will have to settle for the meal service on board the plane. Immagine our surprise when we were served sandwiches instead of the usual full meal service. Siguro even Airlines as big as Cathay Pacific is cutting costs even to the point of removing full meal service to their short flights. Haaayy.. kakaawa talaga ang mga airines these days. So we just had to eat at the Hong Kong Airport nalang when we arrived. Hehehehehe.

It would really be unwise for airline companies to serve full meal on a less than 2 hours flight. Serving alone in a full flight of a 747 or A330 would take forever to finish. It would also depend on the time of the day. Since you mentioned you left at a very early hour of a day, which is breakfast. Why would they serve a full meal? They would probably serve it during lunch or diner time if it really coincide with the meal hours.

hikouki

September 10th, 2009, 04:00 AM

It would really be unwise for airline companies to serve full meal on a less than 2 hours flight. Serving alone in a full flight of a 747 or A330 would take forever to finish. It would also depend on the time of the day. Since you mentioned you left at a very early hour of a day, which is breakfast. Why would they serve a full meal? They would probably serve it during lunch or diner time if it really coincide with the meal hours.

Well, PAL does it! It may not be 6:30AM but PR300 which leaves at 8AM (used to be 7:30) serves hot breakfast - rice meal, fresh fruits and a bread roll. I used to take CX 904 a lot (the 6:30AM flight) and in those days (prior to SARS), they serve a full breakfast. I even remember that time during PAL's shutdown when CX had to buy packed meals from Mandarin Oriental. It was a plastic box with a sandwich, apple, ensaimada and a cinnamon roll. The ground staff and Inflight Service Manager could not stop apologizing because of the failure to offer a hot meal. The point is, they've been doing it for years so it is doable. So why is it all of a sudden impractical? Unless of course, as Crazy4Airplanes said, they are cost-cutting.:)

Nostalgic Isko

September 10th, 2009, 04:26 AM

Does anyone here know if Zest Air provides free shuttle service to their passengers from Kalibo to Caticlan for those who hold Caticlan tickets? I have an impending Boracay trip in October and I'm worried that it's gonna be a hassle for me, being re-routed to Kalibo and shouldering the transfer to Caticlan. :?

Crazy4Airplanes

September 10th, 2009, 08:09 AM

Well, PAL does it! It may not be 6:30AM but PR300 which leaves at 8AM (used to be 7:30) serves hot breakfast - rice meal, fresh fruits and a bread roll. I used to take CX 904 a lot (the 6:30AM flight) and in those days (prior to SARS), they serve a full breakfast. I even remember that time during PAL's shutdown when CX had to buy packed meals from Mandarin Oriental. It was a plastic box with a sandwich, and apple, ensaimada and a cinnamon roll. The ground staff and Inflight Service Manager could not stop apologizing because of the failure to offer a hot meal. The point is, they've been doing it for years and it is doable. So why is it all of a sudden impractical? Unless of course, as Crazy4Airplanes said, they are cost-cutting.:)

correct. i've flown to hong kong via cx numerous times already. we specifically choose the earliest departure para masulit ung first day sa hk. and since 1994, nung first time ako nagfly sa cx, we've always been served meals. ngayon lang talaga hindi. sana pala nag pal nalang kami. we chose cx because supposedly 5 star airline sila. pero what kind of 5star airline does not even serve real food to their customers who paid more and chose them over their 3 star competition na nakakapagserve. kung flight time ang pag uusapan, kaya naman yun. nagagawa nga nila dati eh.. with enough time before the plane lands in hong kong. hay nako. cathay pathetic. now nakapagdecide na kami ng familia ko. singapore airlines na talaga ang favorite airline namin. hehehe. by the way, we will go to melbourne in january. we booked tickets na. hehehe. excited? cant wait to take the a380 sin-mel!!! and guess what? mas mahal pa sa PAL during our travel dates. tsk tsk.

mwg12a

September 10th, 2009, 08:21 AM

Well, PAL does it! It may not be 6:30AM but PR300 which leaves at 8AM (used to be 7:30) serves hot breakfast - rice meal, fresh fruits and a bread roll. I used to take CX 904 a lot (the 6:30AM flight) and in those days (prior to SARS), they serve a full breakfast. I even remember that time during PAL's shutdown when CX had to buy packed meals from Mandarin Oriental. It was a plastic box with a sandwich, apple, ensaimada and a cinnamon roll. The ground staff and Inflight Service Manager could not stop apologizing because of the failure to offer a hot meal. The point is, they've been doing it for years so it is doable. So why is it all of a sudden impractical? Unless of course, as Crazy4Airplanes said, they are cost-cutting.:)

That's exactly what it is, "cost=cutting" almost all airline companies in the world has been trying to cut their expenses since there is a steady decline in air travels due to global recession. PAL is just now experiencing these. Since Cebu Pacific is an LCC, their service package is already designed for cost saving so they can be competetive and still be able to offer cheaper airfare when most airlines in the world are trying to cut cost on most of their expenses and reducing their services that are less profitable to them.

hikouki

September 10th, 2009, 10:45 AM

correct. i've flown to hong kong via cx numerous times already. we specifically choose the earliest departure para masulit ung first day sa hk. and since 1994, nung first time ako nagfly sa cx, we've always been served meals. ngayon lang talaga hindi. sana pala nag pal nalang kami. we chose cx because supposedly 5 star airline sila. pero what kind of 5star airline does not even serve real food to their customers who paid more and chose them over their 3 star competition na nakakapagserve. kung flight time ang pag uusapan, kaya naman yun. nagagawa nga nila dati eh.. with enough time before the plane lands in hong kong. hay nako. cathay pathetic. now nakapagdecide na kami ng familia ko. singapore airlines na talaga ang favorite airline namin. hehehe. by the way, we will go to melbourne in january. we booked tickets na. hehehe. excited? cant wait to take the a380 sin-mel!!! and guess what? mas mahal pa sa PAL during our travel dates. tsk tsk.

Cathay used to be my favorite airline, too! But a short time after the HK handover, when AirChina bought some of Swire's shares and introduced policy changes at CX, the quality of their services drastically declined. For one, they stopped hiring multinational cabin crews and now most of them are mainlanders or HK natives. Inflight service really went downhill. I believe inflight catering took a nosedive, too. Econ meals are still done by CX itself but the business class and first class menu is taken cared of by some HK restaurants (but perpared inside CX city, of course). SQ is really great but sometimes their fares are outrageously expensive. I flew TG's premium econ a few months ago and paid USD1500+. BR's DeLuxe was at USD1700+. SQ was offering regular econ for USD1900+!!!:ohno: